From: cjfst4@cis.pitt.edu (Chad Freeman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: ** FINALLY - AN _GREAT_ AMIGA PROGRAMMING LANUAGE
Date: 26 Jan 93 17:51:18 GMT
Reply-To: cjfst4+@pitt.edu
Organization: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Ross Smith (alien@acheron.amigans.gen.nz) wrote:
: In article <thecure.727159005@munagin> thecure@mullian.ee.mu.OZ.AU (matthew aardvarkious) writes:
: >I _strongly_ suggest you should all at least _try_ to get amigae21.lha

: Two questions spring to mind:
:    (1) Is it available from any ftp-by-mail site? (for those of us who don't
:        have access to real ftp)
:    (2) How big is it? (for those of us who have to pay big buck$ for email)

: >Easy! - The other incredible thing about it is the _speed_
: >
: >- Compilation speed of 10.000 to 35.000 lines/minute on a 7mhz Amiga 500,
: >  25.000 to 85.000 l/m on a 14mhz Amiga 1200 (both _without_ fastram)

: 85 lines a minute? Fast?!

I don't know what the real figures are, but they ain't it.

: >It also caters specifically to common amiga programming, like this.
: >
: >w:=OpenW(20,11,400,100,$200,$F,'My first window in E!',NIL,1,NIL)

: Huh? In what way is this an improvement on the corresponding C code?

:    /* with some guesswork about what your parameters mean... */
:    win_ptr = OpenWindowTags(NULL,
:                WA_Left,        20,
:                WA_Top,         11,
:                WA_Width,       400,
:                WA_Height,      100,
:                WA_CloseGadget, TRUE,
:                WA_DepthGadget, TRUE,
:                WA_DragBar,     TRUE,
:                WA_SizeGadget,  TRUE,
:                WA_IDCMP,       IDCMP_CLOSEWINDOW,
:                WA_Title,       "The same window in C?",
:                TAG_DONE);

The OpenW is a special function of E.  You can use the standard IDCMP, WFLG,
etc flags instead of the hex values there.  Plus, you can do a normals tags-
style openwindow without creating a structure beforehand.

: I think the C version is clearer, since the tags make it obvious what each
: of the parameters mean, whereas figuring out what the parameters on your
: function call meant took some educated guesses plus a hunting & fishing
: expedition into the include files...

: >Easy window stuff. Add the fact that dos/exec/intuition/graphic libraries
: >are built into the compiler and you don't have to worry about libraries, etc
: >-or- closing anything (all handled) means it adds up to a wild programme.

: Most (all?) Amiga C compilers now include automatic library opening and
: closing. And what happens when you need libraries other than those four?

There is of course the standard OpenLibrary call for other libraries.

I'd suggest looking at the language for a clearer idea of how it works.

: --
: ...... Ross Smith (Wanganui, NZ) ...... alien@acheron.amigans.gen.nz ......
: "I blame you for the moonlit sky and the dream that died with the Eagle's flight
: I blame you for the moonlit nights when I wonder why are the seas still dry
: Don't blame me, sleeping satellite"                              (Tasmin Archer)
: --

--
Chad Freeman 					mail: cjfst4+@pitt.edu
			The end.