From: okabe@kutsuda.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Yasuo Okabe)
Subject: Re: Modula-2 on UNIX
Reply-To: okabe@kutsuda.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Organization: Dept. of Information Science, Kyoto University, JAPAN
Distribution: fj
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 03:15:14 GMT

In article <4741@icews2.ipc.kanazawa-u.ac.jp>,
    kunihiko@kitune.ec.t.kanazawa-u.ac.jp (Kunihiko Imai) writes:

kunihiko> $@$I$3$+$K(J UNIX $@>e$GF0$/L5=~$GF~<j2DG=$J(J Modula-2 $@%3%s%Q%$%i$O(J
	$@$J$$$N$G$7$g$&$+!#(J
kunihiko> p2c $@$N$h$&$J%H%i%s%9(J$@%l!<%?$G$b7k9=$G$9!#(J

$@$*Lr$KN)$D$+$I$&$+$O$o$+$j$^$;$s$,!"(J

	ftp.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp:~ftp/Modula-3 

$@$r(J$@GA$$$F$_$F2<$5$$!#0J2<(J FAQ $@$h$j0zMQ$G$9!#(J

Archive-name: Modula-3-faq
Last-modified: Mar 19 1992


			MODULA-3 FAQ
			============


What is Modula-3 ?

   The goal of Modula-3 is to be as simple and safe as it can be while
   meeting the needs of modern systems programmers.  Instead of
   exploring new features, we studied the features of the Modula
   family of languages that have proven themselves in practice and
   tried to simplify them into a harmonious language.  We found that
   most of the successful features were aimed at one of two main
   goals: greater robustness, and a simpler, more systematic type
   system.

   Modula-3 descends from Mesa, Modula-2, Cedar, and Modula-2+.  It
   also resembles its cousins Object Pascal, Oberon, and Euclid.

   Modula-3 retains one of Modula-2's most successful features, the
   provision for explicit interfaces between modules.  It adds objects
   and classes, exception handling, garbage collection, lightweight
   processes (or threads), and the isolation of unsafe features.


Is Modula-3 a superset of Modula-2 ?

   No; valid Modula-2 programs are not valid Modula-3 programs.


Where can I get a description of Modula-3 ? 
   
   The definition of Modula-3 is contained in:

	System Programming with Modula-3
	Edited by Greg Nelson
	Prentice Hall Series in Innovative Technology
	ISBN 0-13-590464-1
	L.C. QA76.66.S87 1991

   also known as SPwM3.

   Sam Harbison has written a book about Modula3:

	Modula-3
	Samuel P. Harbison
	Prentice Hall, 1992
	ISBN 0-13-596396-6

   as well as an overview article, "Modula-3", in Byte, Vol. 15,
   Number 12, October 1990, p 385.


Where can I get information on Modula-3 ?

   There is a Usenet newsgroup, comp.lang.modula3.  The archives of
   that group are available via anonymous ftp from gatekeeper.dec.com
   in pub/DEC/Modula-3/comp.lang.modula3.  If you do not have
   access to Usenet, there is a relay mailing list; send a message to
   m3-request@src.dec.com to be added to it.

   Also, Pine Creek Software publishes a free newsletter and various
   announcements about Modula-3 products and activities.  To be added
   to their mailing list, send email or US mail to:

	Pine Creek Software
	Suite 300
	305 South Craig Street
	Pittsburgh, PA 15213
	Phone & Fax: [1] (412) 681 9811
	Email: modula3@bert.pinecreek.com
   

Where can I get an implementation ?

   There is only one implementation available today.  It has been built
   by SRC and is available via anonymous ftp from gatekeeper.dec.com in
   pub/DEC/Modula-3/src-m3.

   The current version, 2.04, implements the language defined in SPwM3.
   There are versions for the following machines:

	AIX386	IBM PC running AIX/PS2,
	AP3000	Apollo DN4500 running Domain/OS
	ARM	Acorn R260 running RISC iX 1.21
	DS3100	DECstation 3100 and 5000 running Ultrix 4.0 and 4.2
	HP300	HP 9000/300 running HP-UX 8.0
 	IBMR2	IBM R6000 running AIX 3.1, 
	IBMRT	IBM RT running IBM/4.3, 
	NEXT    NeXT running ?
	SPARC	SPARCstation running SunOS 4.1.x
	SUN3	SUN3 running SunOS
	UMAX    Encore Multimax running UMAX 4.3 (R4.1.1)
	VAX	VAX running Ultrix 3.1

   SRC Modula-3 includes a user manual, compiler, runtime library,
   some libraries and a few other goodies (see below).

   The compiler generates C as an intermediate language and should be
   fairly easy to port.  Except for the very lowest levels of the
   thread implementation, the entire system is written in Modula-3.


What if I don't have ftp access ?

   You can contact Pine Creek Software (see the address above).

Can I contribute Modula-3 software ?

   Certainly.  Send us what you are willing to share, be it programs,
   libraries or other things.  We'll put them in the distribution. 

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