Re: Ada compilers

[billwolf%hazel.cs.clemson.edu@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe, 2847 )]

From schmidt@zola.ics.uci.edu (Doug Schmidt):
>>   Fortunately, compiler
>>   technology is now capable of delivering tight, efficient Ada
>>   object code, better than that being produced by C compilers.
> 
> 1. Precisely which Ada compilers produce better code than 
>    which C compilers? Not all compilers are created equal...

   The Telesoft TeleGen2 compiler, vs. all available C compilers,
   as of circa October 1988; contact Telesoft for details, since 
   the statement was made at the Telesoft User's Group meeting at
   the Tri-Ada '88 conference.  

> 2. What are the benchmarks and where can they be obtained?  If, in
>    order to generate good code, Ada programmers must limit themselves to
>    a `Pascal subset' of the language exactly what advantages have
>    accrued?

   I seem to recall "Dhrystone", among others, being cited.  There 
   were no limitations on the use of the Ada language.
 
> 3. What are the hardware/OS platforms and what are the relative costs
>    between the Ada and C compilers/environments?  After all, it is
>    unfair to compare a $500,000 Rational Ada environment against
>    a $120 copy of Turbo C on MS DOS ;-).

   I think the comparison might have focused on Sun workstations,
   but I'm by no means positive.  In any event, the point of contact is:

      TeleSoft, 5959 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA, 92121-9891

   There were several articles in the Proceedings of Tri-Ada '88
   which considered at length the sophisticated optimization techniques
   which went into the TeleGen2 compiler; that might also be a good source. 
 
   There has been a new release of the TeleGen2 compiler since October 
   1988, and undoubtedly new releases of C compilers as well, so it 
   would probably be best to contact TeleSoft directly at the above 
   address for the most recent competitive statistics.  
    

   Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu