Pathways

[samiam95124]

Pathways

Here's what it takes to get to different environments

Linux

Well, obviously its already here. The major issue remaining is to connect up the full Petit-Ami package. Right now its just services. I could have done more, but this job gets a lot easier with the pgen refactor goals #264, per CPU calling conventions and cexternal. So the work was moved back until that is done.

Windows

Needs the pgen refactor goals #264, per CPU calling conventions. The reason is that Windows uses a different calling convention even for the same CPU (AMD64).

The other interesting issue is that it needs the 64 bit mingw package. I don't see any reason Visual Studio can't be used as well, which would be a "native" package for Windows, but there are hurdles:

1. Use of libc style calls (psystem and supporting).
2. MASM assembly format.

Let's just say that mingw64 is the cleanest and shortest path for now.

Mac OS

Needs an ARM version of pgen. Actually, Pascal-P was run on the Mac OS previously using the gpc port on the x86 mac, so I am familiar with it. This includes full graphics via X Windows on mac emulation.

So why not just release an x86 version for the Mac? I have one of those machines. Apple does a good job of obsoleting their own hardware. It can't be upgraded to new versions of Mac OS, and even with the previous versions, it is getting very slow to run.

IOS

That one is tricky, because Apple has that pretty well locked down. Its more correct to say that I can give you a version of Pascal-P6 that runs programs on IOS because Xcode can port to that. Generally people don't program ON IOS but rather program on Mac OS then run via an emulator or direct on a device. Thus not a problem for me, but a problem for you, namely to get your target programs into the Apple store, etc.

I'm not ready to call Apple the bad guys here[1]. They have a right to charge you to appear in their store. The more important issue is if you can get a program from the internet and bypass permissions to run it, as you can with Mac OS. According to online information, this is possible.

It'll probably happen just because I like the idea of seeing Pascaline apps on my Iphone. Otherwise the issues are similar to Android below.

BSD

Was done previously and is basically just a recompile on BSD. There was an issue with advanced Xwindows and Petit-ami, and quite frankly I believe it to be a BSD system bug. It would need a workaround.

Android

This is really a Petit-Ami issue. There is no fundamental reason that PA paradigms can't be reshaped to fit into Android format. There is a bit of risk that such apps will look foreign, so this is something of a research project.

[1] Disclosure: I used to work for them.