[fpc-devel] VMS Pascal Compiler mode

[Sven Barth]

On 27.10.2014 11:51, Richard Apthorp wrote:
> Hi Sven,
>
> Thanks for the reply. Yes some of it could be handled by a unit for special types etc but not  sure what adding a new mode means or how to do it, could this handle differences such as -
> Type conversions:
> Var::integer  instead of integer(var)
> Passing in characters arrays:
> Procedure Proc(str : array [A..B] of char);
> Defaulting parameters
> Procedure Proc(p1 : integer := 1; p2,p3:integer);
> And calling it in different ways:
> Proc(,2,3);
> Proc(1,p3 := 3, p2:= 2);

Maybe you should indeed first try to list all differences then we could 
help you with judging how hard they are to be implemented. E.g. calling 
arguments by name is already implemented for some special cases (AFAIK 
for IDispatchable interfaces or something like that) so that would 
already be there. And then we could guide you for implementing them 
starting from the easy ones to the hard ones so that you could get 
familiar with the compiler.

Regards,
Sven

PS: Please keep the fpc-devel list as recipent as well (either as main 
To or as CC) so that others interested in this topic can read your 
messages as well. Maybe it would be better if you'd subscribe to the 
list, because then others don't need to CC you if they answer.

>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sven Barth [mailto:pascaldragon at googlemail.com]
> Sent: 25 October 2014 13:10
> To: FPC developers' list; Richard Apthorp
> Subject: Re: [fpc-devel] VMS Pascal Compiler mode
>
> On 24.10.2014 13:22, Richard Apthorp wrote:
>> Porting a large project running on the VMS operating system written in
>> Pascal to Linux and Free Pascal.
>> However there is no compiler switch for HP VMS Pascal. Would be really
>> useful if just the main syntax differences could be catered for eg:
>> Specifying parameter names in procedure calls (instead of overload) -
>> I could provide a list.
>> Noticed GNU Pascal has such a compiler switch.
>> Anyway in the middle of writing a pre-processor to make the syntax
>> changes but wondering if anybody has done something similar?
>> HP having just announced VMS retirement after 35 years there must be a
>> lot of HP Pascal around some of which will need to be ported!
>
> I'm not aware of anyone developing a compiler mode for HP VMS Pascal (or Compaq Pascal as it seems to be called). So feel free to implement it yourself (you could start small by only adding the new mode first and maybe a compatibility unit for special type declarations that will be automatically loaded like the ObjPas unit for modes Delphi and ObjFPC or the MacPas unit for the Mac Pascal mode).
>
> Regards,
> Sven
>