[fpc-devel] Present and Future of Free Pascal Compiler .

[Mehmet Erol Sanliturk]

Dear Sirs ,


A discussion started on representation of Russian language
in FPC ( Free Pascal Compiler ) and continues toward about
the general design and future of FPC .


As a  Computer ( let's say Scientist and/or Engineer )
I consider every idea exchanging as a good activity .

I want to present the following points for your consideration :


(A)

Multithreading , for me . it is NOT an important contribution
to the FPC because , please , think the following model :

Assume that n ( n > 1 ) processes required to be running in parallel .

Solution : Write n simple programs ( let say command-line programs )
            able to use DDE ( Dynamic Data Exchange ) or any message
           passing ability .
           In your program , when a button is clicked let the some
           processes spawn any number of programs as "independently"
           started programs . They may start new programs  , and they
           may cooperate in any way by message passing .

           For that reason , I consider such a problem is in the domain of
           operating systems .

           FPC is able to generate such programs . Therefore in my opinion
           it is not a vital problem to solve this problem "WITHIN" the FPC.


           By using such programs even computations may be distributed over
           different computers .

(B)

     Generation of parallel processable code within a program part
     in general is the responsibility of code generator of the compiler .
     Therefore over time code generator of FPC may be improved for
     some operating systems which can execute the code in parallel .
     At this moment insertion of some language syntax extensions can only
     ruin transportability of the FP programs to other Pascal compilers .

     The other issue is how many programmers will use this facility on
     which operating systems ?

    To extent wish lists is very easy , but when task comes to implement
    those wishes many things appear uprightly like an iceberg and  a hit
    to it gives very undesired results .


(C)
    I am not an operating system expert . My expertise is on scientific 
computing
    ( theory and mathematical/statistical analysis ) and
    Design of Data Base Programming Languages and their implementation .
  
    I can say that use of multi-cores is the responsibility of the 
OPERATING systems
    but not of the user programs .

    To try to carry this task toward user programs through a compiler 
can only be
    a disaster and waste of whole efforts . I am in this profession ( 
since 1970 as
    student of Computer Science courses ,)  since 1974 as a System 
Analyst , ... .

    I saw many products which tried to complement some operating system 
deficiencies
    but they went to cemetery of software business because next release 
of the
    operating system removed those deficiencies and the task remained to 
the other firm
    was to disappear from the market .

    It is not necessary to repeat the same history for the FPC .

(D)

    When mathematical/statistical computing is considered ( if I say my own
    intention : I am working toward writing a whole set of such 
procedures to integrate
    into my other programs ( because they are in Pascal ) but very slowly )
    Pascal language may be
    ( , perhaps not the last , but at least)
    not considered because its procedure parameter passing , especially 
when compared
    to Fortran object-time DIMENSION facility and many other points .
    There are some efforts ( for example , Scientific Pascal ) to extend
    the Pascal language toward a similar structure
    with Fortran but up to now there is no a widely accepted product
    ( or I do not know ).

(E)

    When Free Pascal is concerned I may say that it is a very good 
compiler ,
    really I present my heartiest congratulations to its developers
    ( although it is not compiling my program ) .

(F)

    Let's ask :

    Are there any points which should be improved ?


    I can say : "PLENTY ..."

    If you wish to learn my ideas I am ready to make remarks .





Thank you very much ,

Mehmet Erol Sanliturk