From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FREEMAIL_FROM, INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,c95a73ec6ed5f174,start X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: Kees de Lezenne Coulande Subject: Re: Floating point problem Date: 1997/03/27 Message-ID: <199703271518_MC2-1360-15BE@compuserve.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 228826063 Sender: Ada programming language Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-03-27T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: Larry Kilgallen wrote on the subject of a floating-point coprocessor being needed for use of the GNAT compiler: >That is too bad. I had hoped GNAT might be useful for deployment. >Just to make sure we are on the same wavelength, my concern is >entirely with what happens at runtime with generated programs. >For running the compiler I can buy (actually already have) some >appropriate machines. >But it is really tough to sell software to people if you tell them they >have to spend 40x the software price to buy a new computer. Last year I bought a 387 floating-point coprocessor for my father's 8 Mb 386DX-40 for the equivalent of about $15. Just as an experiment, I have tried running one of my large Ada programmes on it (which was migrated from a VAX to a PC using GNAT for OS/2). It ran OK, slowish, but no worse than the good old VAX on a warm and busy day. And this was under DOS using the EMX.EXE DOS-extender. I have not tried the compiler on this machine. I would expect it to work, but too slow for any practical purpose. In another silly experiment at "how low can you go", about a year ago we tried the then-current GNAT for DOS on a low-end 386. I cannot remember the exact details anymore, but I think it was a 386SX with 2 Mb, and definitely no FP. Compiling "Hello World" took about 20 minutes, with the hard disk thrashing about most of the time, and the compiled program ran OK. Running any useful programme (compiled on a more capable machine) did not work because of the lack of floating-point coprocessor. Kees de Lezenne Coulander --------------------------------------------------------------------- C.M. de Lezenne Coulander Amsterdam-Zuidoost The Netherlands E-mail: lezenne@compuserve.com Aircraft Development and Systems Engineering B.V. Schiphol-Rijk, The Netherlands =====================================================================