DOS ain't dead

JPI TopSpeed (Pascal, Modula-2) (Developers)

posted by Rugxulo , Usono, 10.04.2020, 08:14

>>>> .DXE .DLL .SO (etc.)
>>>
>>> Yes, the DLL implementation in Borland Pascal has nothing like LoadLibrary.
>>> All the used DLLs are automaticaly loaded during the .EXE initialization
>>> and they can't be unloaded or replaced.
>>
>> [C. Peachment's shareware DOS Oberon compiler, written in TopSpeed Modula-2]
>> did support loadable modules and could even combine them for static .EXE.
>
> TSM2 was my compiler before I went to FPC (then with targets go32v2,
> emx(OS/2) and Linux).
>
> TSM2 was generally a 16-bit compiler but a later one than e.g. Borland Pascal 7.
> There were several major versions (1,2,3), with TSM2 1.15/1.17 widely sold and
> used in education, even when later versions were out.
>
> TS 3(.3x?) was the last product, but was offered as a bunch of modules and
> addons. Win3.1x, various protected mode options were all addon iirc.
>
> It had real mode (roughly small,compact,large,xlarge), 286 protected mode and
> a 386 enhanced extender for 286 protected modem, lifting several limits and
> efficiency).
>
> I never had the 386 addon, so don't know the exact details. I did have some of
> the win3.x stuff but never used it, since I never used win3 for anything
> serious.
>
> Afaik it could generate 287 code, but the assembler didn't know any 386/387
> opcodes. (requiring an external assembler to generate code for that).
> (386 db 66 based 32-bit integer support would have been very welcome,
> but few compilers support that)

So, apparently, JPI was a spinoff of Borland, initially focusing mostly on TopSpeed Modula-2 compiler? Later bought by SoftVelocity and bundled with Clarion (language). TopSpeed also supported other languages (e.g. Pascal). Part of the appeal was OS/2 1.x support, in addition to 16-bit DOS.

Regarding add-ons, apparently the TechKit added support for various things (assembly, RTL sources, Win16 development). The TechKit was also sold in "Extended" editions, and according to DDJ's 1990 Cruising With Topspeed, "includes support for DLLs that can be used under DOS").

Complete thread:

• Stony Brook (Pascal, Modula-2) - Rugxulo, 08.04.2020, 04:24 (Developers)
  • JPI TopSpeed (Pascal, Modula-2) - Rugxulo, 10.04.2020, 08:14
    • JPI TopSpeed (Pascal, Modula-2) - marcov, 10.04.2020, 17:25