Re: Portable Assembly

Subject	Re: Portable Assembly
Newsgroups	comp.arch.embedded
References	(4 earlier) <606cjc9l3kkpjq48efls9ddr8cqe8tc5aa@4ax.com> <oh6che$1pm$1@dont-email.me> <uaqdjc9573scbrs5stpqigcaoksm81956m@4ax.com> <oh85i7$jku$1@dont-email.me> <8c5hjctn65nd8qqsjillfo5f6knt09129u@4ax.com>
From	Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk>
Message-ID	<dCc_A.3968$UK2.1097@fx01.am4> (permalink)
Organization	virginmedia.com
Date	2017-06-08 14:50 +0100

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On 08/06/17 11:38, George Neuner wrote:
> The smallest K&R1 compiler I can remember that *ran* on an 8-bit micro
> was circa 1983.  It was a few hundred KB of code.  It ran in 48KB
> using overlays, needed 2 floppy drives or a hard disk, and required 2
> compile passes per source file and a final link pass.
>
> It was quite functional (if glacially slow), and included program code
> overlay support and emulated single precision FP (in VAX format IIRC).
> Although it targeted a 16-bit virtual machine with 6 16-bit registers,
> it produced native 8-bit code : i.e. the "16-bit VM" program was not
> interpreted, but was emulated by 8-bit code.

Whitesmiths? IIRC the symbol table size became a limiting
factor during linking, so linking became multipass :(


> There existed various subset C compilers that could run in less than
> 48KB, but most of them were no more than expensive learning toys.

I always found that remarkable, since Algol-60 compiler ran in
4kwords of 2 instructions/word.


> But even by the standard of "the compiler could run on the machine",
> there were languages better suited than C for application programming.
>
> Consider that in the late 70's there already were decent 8-bit
> implementations of BASIC, BCPL Logo, SNOBOL, etc.  (Extended) Pascal,
> Smalltalk, SNOBOL4, etc. became available in the early 80's for both 8
> and 16-bit systems.  But C really wasn't useable on any micro prior to
> ~1985 when reasonably<?> priced hard disks appeared.

I'll debate Smalltalk :) Apple's implementation (pre L Peter
Deutsch's JIT) was glacially slow. I know: it is still running
on my fat Mac downstairs :)


> The question is not why C was adopted for system programming, or for
> cross development from a capable system to a smaller target.  Rather
> the question is why it was so widely adopted for ALL kinds of
> programming on ALL platforms given that were many other reasonable
> choices available.

Yes indeed.

Fortunately The New Generation has seen the light, for better
and for worse.

But then if you make it possible to program in English,
you will find that people cannot think and express
themselves in English.

Thread

Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-27 15:39 -0400
  Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:05 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly Mel Wilson <mwilson@the-wire.com> - 2017-05-27 21:29 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 00:36 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:56 +0000
        Re: Portable Assembly Hans-Bernhard Bröker <HBBroeker@t-online.de> - 2017-05-28 14:36 +0200
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 09:53 +0200
  Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-05-27 16:17 -0500
    Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 00:31 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Theo Markettos <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2017-05-27 22:52 +0100
        Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-27 21:58 +0000
          Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 07:37 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-28 01:28 -0400
            Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-28 07:33 +0100
              Re: Portable Assembly rickman <gnuarm@gmail.com> - 2017-05-28 03:22 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-05-28 08:49 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-28 15:03 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-05-28 12:26 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 01:04 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 10:43 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Anssi Saari <as@sci.fi> - 2017-05-31 10:19 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-31 01:49 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-05-31 15:56 +0300
        Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 02:33 -0700
          Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-05-29 23:46 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 13:54 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 15:52 -0700
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 02:14 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 17:14 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 03:38 +0300
              Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 18:42 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2017-05-28 18:45 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 20:47 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly Stefan Reuther <stefan.news@arcor.de> - 2017-05-29 18:43 +0200
            Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 10:23 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly "Boudewijn Dijkstra" <sp4mtr4p.boudewijn@indes.com> - 2017-05-30 16:31 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-29 01:59 +0000
          Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 05:21 +0300
      Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-05-28 22:04 -0500
        Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-29 02:57 -0700
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 11:00 +0200
        Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 15:08 +0300
          Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 15:06 +0200
            Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-29 20:02 +0300
              Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-29 23:13 +0200
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-30 16:53 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-05-31 11:36 +0200
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-06-01 22:43 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-02 13:27 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2017-05-29 13:48 +0000
    Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-05-27 15:46 -0700
    Re: Portable Assembly Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.really> - 2017-05-28 23:59 -0500
  Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-05-28 00:23 +0300
  Re: Portable Assembly jim.brakefield@ieee.org - 2017-05-27 16:54 -0700
  Re: Portable Assembly Walter Banks <walter@bytecraft.com> - 2017-05-29 17:23 -0400
  Re: Portable Assembly "Boudewijn Dijkstra" <sp4mtr4p.boudewijn@indes.com> - 2017-06-02 17:03 +0200
    Re: Portable Assembly Mike Perkins <spam@spam.com> - 2017-06-05 15:39 +0100
      Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-05 18:10 +0200
      Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-05 09:10 -0700
        Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-06 00:24 -0400
          Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-06 11:05 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-06 07:03 -0700
            Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-06 16:58 +0200
              Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-06-06 21:26 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-06 16:42 -0400
              Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-06 23:16 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-08 06:38 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Dimiter_Popoff <dp@tgi-sci.com> - 2017-06-08 15:58 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly upsidedown@downunder.com - 2017-06-08 21:34 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-06-10 15:27 -0500
                Re: Portable Assembly Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2017-06-10 15:23 -0500
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-08 14:50 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly Tauno Voipio <tauno.voipio@notused.fi.invalid> - 2017-06-08 17:38 +0300
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-08 16:37 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-09 14:14 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Tom Gardner <spamjunk@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2017-06-09 22:25 +0100
                Re: Portable Assembly Clifford Heath <no.spam@please.net> - 2017-06-10 09:54 +1000
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-09 00:06 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-09 22:14 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-09 22:50 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-10 21:01 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-11 00:39 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-12 23:27 -0400
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-12 22:42 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-13 14:24 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-13 21:57 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Reinhardt Behm <rbehm@hushmail.com> - 2017-06-14 13:26 +0800
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-13 23:58 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-19 06:48 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-19 16:45 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Ed Prochak <edprochak@gmail.com> - 2017-06-20 15:07 -0700
                Re: Portable Assembly Don Y <blockedofcourse@foo.invalid> - 2017-06-21 07:37 -0700
              Re: Portable Assembly David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2017-06-07 09:20 +0200
          Re: Portable Assembly Niklas Holsti <niklas.holsti@tidorum.invalid> - 2017-06-07 00:30 +0300
            Re: Portable Assembly George Neuner <gneuner2@comcast.net> - 2017-06-07 02:02 -0400

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