[3858] in comp.os.os2.announce archive
BETA: Virtual Pascal V2.0 Beta subscription now open
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alex Vermeulen)
Mon Feb 23 12:01:08 1998
To: os2ann.DISCUSS@bloom-picayune.MIT.EDU
Date: 16 Feb 1998 15:01:00 -0500
From: atverm@nospam.a2000.nl (Alex Vermeulen)
Reply-To: atverm@nospam.a2000.nl (Alex Vermeulen)
Reply-to: atverm@nospam.a2000.nl (Alex Vermeulen)
[Followups directed to comp.os.os2.programmer.tools]
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As an old-time user of Virtual Pascal for OS/2 I was very happy with the
following announcement:
There is going to be a Virtual Pascal v2.0! All your lobbying and telling
us how great you think VP is has finally convinced us to produce a new
version, including some exciting new features - please read on.
VP v2.0 will be published by fPrint (UK) Ltd and is currently targeted for
beta testing around the beginning of April 1998. Please refer to the bottom
of this message for further information about the beta test.
VP v2.0 will be sold exclusively through the Internet. To keep production
and distribution costs down, no hard-copy documentation, media or packaging
will be available for this version.
Subject to changes and reasonable suggestions, VP v2.0 will have the
following main new features and enhancements above VP/2 v1.1:
- Support for OS/2, Windows NT/Windows 95 (Win32) and some DOS-extenders.
Cross-platform support includes
- An IDE for each of OS/2 and Win32. The IDE is the tried and tested IDE
from VP/2 v1.x.
- The ability of both IDEs to generate executables for both OS/2 and
Win32.
- Full debugger support for OS/2 and Win32.
- The ability to run VP-generated Win32 programs using DOS extenders like
Borland's 32RTM, Pharlap's DOS extender and RTX-DOS32 that emulate a
subset of the Win32 or OS/2 API. The IDE, including compiler and
built-in debugger can run in DOS using RTX-DOS32 only.
- A built-in linker capable of producing both Win32 PE executables and
OS/2 LX executables.
- The Run-Time Library has been extended to include a new unit, VpSysLow,
which encapsulates and implements all platform-dependent calls. All
units in the RTL are independent of operating systems as they have been
converted to use VpSysLow.
- Because dependency on the operating system has been isolated to the
VpSysLow unit, the RTL works on both Win32 and OS/2. This also means
that VP v2.0 can be ported to generate code for any Intel-based 32-bit
platform like Linux, BeOS, etc, by porting the VpSysLow unit alone.
- Full source for the entire system-independent RTL, including the VpSysLow
and System units, is included. The RTL includes VpSysLow, System, Crt,
Dos, Strings, Math, VPUtils, Os2*, Windows. For copyright reasons, the
following RTL files are supplied as pre-compiled (source available for
Delphi owners only): TypInfo, Classes, SysUtils; and Objects (Borland
Pascal owners only).
- A platform-independent version of Turbo Vision is included. Owners of
Borland Pascal will be able to upgrade the BP source code to
compatibility with VP v2.0.
- The compiler supports the Pascal language as defined by Borland Pascal
v7. In addition, language extensions introduced in Borland Delphi v2.0
are supported: Local Thread Storage, AnsiStrings, try..except blocks, the
Class object model, etc.
- Open Debug API (ODAPI) The debugger for both IDEs now relies on an
external Debug DLL for debugging. Using the ODAPI, it is possible for
users to write debugger support for any Intel-based platform.
- The ODAPI is documented through online help. The source code for native
debugging of OS/2 and Win32 programs is included.
- Remote debugging facility by using the Open Debug API, implemented for
RTXDOS, is included.
- All utilities (TPH2VPH, ImpLib, Lib, HG, etc) are supplied for both OS/2
and Win32.
- Includes support for upgrading the Delphi v3 RTL/VCL files to VP
compatibility. For updating TypInfo, Classes, SysUtils and optionally
the rest of the VCL, source code from the following Delphi versions can
be used: 1.00, 1.01, 2.00, 2.01, 3.00, 3.01 and 3.02
- Possible support for porting programs using Borland Pascal's 16-bit
Object Windows Library (OWL for BPW) to Win32. We need to investigate
this further.
- Numerous examples for both OS/2 and Win32 included.
- The IDE uses text-based INI files instead of proprietary binary .CFG
files for defining projects. A utility for converting old .CFG files to
the new format will probably be supplied. Text-based .INI files make it
easier to extend the capabilities of the IDE without compromising
backwards compatibility, and also allow access to the settings from a
text-editor.
- The IDE will no longer force file names to upper case, but instead retain
the original case.
- The compiler will no longer force names of exported entry points to upper
case.
- Various bug fixes, including enhanced AnsiString support.
HELP AND REFERENCE
- The RTL is documented using the built-in help system (VPH). Optionally,
an INF version of this can be downloaded (OS/2 only).
- The base OS/2 API is documented both as .VPH and as .INF files (Optional
download).
- Documentation for the Win32 API is not included, since it can be obtained
from several other sources and is very large in size.
- The manual (including installation instructions, using the IDE, Pascal
language reference, etc) will be updated and be included in electronic
form; probably as a PDF file.
RESTRICTIONS
- The $Export and $Dynamic feature, which allows entire units to be
exported to a DLL, is available for OS/2 targets only.
- The libraries supported by VP v1.1 (Object Professional, ASync Pro,
B-Tree Filer, TTT, TOT, etc) are supported for OS/2 only.
BETA TEST
A beta test will be available for all interested parties. To participate,
you must purchase the beta test from BMT Micro, available at
http://www.bmtmicro.com. Participation in the beta test entitles you to a
free upgrade to the full version of VP v2.0 when it is released.
**Update: The URL is: https://secure.falcon-net.net/BMT/order1065.html
By participating in the beta program, you not only get a chance to try this
excellent software before all your friends - and to demonstrate a
significant demand for the product - but it also enables you to send us your
thoughts on features you would like to see, or existing ones you would like
to change.
Virtual Pascal v2.0 can be purchased from BMT Micro ONLY (it is NOT sold
directly from fPrint) and costs:
Virtual Pascal v2.0 US$159
Upgrade from previous version US$119
Students (proof required) US$119
Beta program, including full version US$119
The Virtual Pascal Development Team
Thomas Mueller Allan Mertner Vitaly Miryanov
**Update: More information on Virtual Pascal can be found at
http://www.fprint.co.uk/vpascal
===================================================================
Alex T. Vermeulen email: atverm@zap.a2000.nl.nospam
WWW: http://node0e21.a2000.nl/pascal/index.html
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