ModulaWare Press Release

A2O: 64 Bit Oberon-2 Compiler for DEC OpenVMS Alpha

10-Oct-1997: ModulaWare releases A2O V3.0.

The programming language Oberon-2 is Wirth's successor of Pascal and Modula-2. The main features of Oberon-2 are strong type checking, modules with type checked interfaces and separate compilation, type extension (object-orientedness), run-time type tests, type-bound procedures (methods), read-only export of variables, dynamic arrays, compatibility between all numeric types (mixed expressions), and string operations.

A2O directly generates Alpha 64 bit native code in OpenVMS object code files for stand-alone programs and Oberon load-files for the Alpha Oberon System (AOS_64).

A2O features:

• The Oberon programming language, as defined in M. Reiser and N. Wirth's Programming in Oberon, Addison Wesley, 1992.
• The Oberon-2 programming language, as defined in H.P. Mössenböck's Object-Oriented Programming in Oberon-2, Springer Verlag, 1993.
• The complete set the ISO 10154 Modula-2 standard library modules for stand-alone programs and the Oberon System V4 under Alpha Oberon.
• Run-time type information and persistent objects.
• Integer data types and arithmetic for 8, 16, 32 and 64 Bit.
• Floating-point data types and arithmetic for VAX- and IEEE-types (SYSTEM.F, D, G, S and T_FLOATING).
• Complex data types for IEEE- and VAX-floating (SYSTEM.F, D, G, S and T_COMPLEX).
• Supports 64 bit pointers (VLM64) under OpenVMS 7.1 or later, 32 bit and 64 bit pointers can be mixed in application and library modules. Full type check at compile time assures 100% type consistency in a mixed pointer environment even for separately compiled modules.
• OSF/Motif-, X11, VMS-, RMS-, MTH-, RTL-, OTS-, LIB-, STR-, ... libraries via foreign interface modules (sources included).
• Mixed language projects; call of procedures written in Modula-2 and/or foreign languages such as C, Fortran, or Pascal and vice versa.
• Any Oberon-2 procedure may be called asynchronously by OpenVMS ASTs (asynchronous system traps, i.e.: call-back).
• Includes module dependency analyser/make-utility, integrated disassembler, cross reference generator, Alpha instruction scheduler.
• Supports the OpenVMS symbolic run-time debugger for stand-alone applications and the Linz symbolic run-time debugger under Alpha Oberon.
• Fine grained symbol files under Alpha Oberon allow to extend the interface of a module without requiring recompilation of all clients.
• Meta-programming under Alpha Oberon allows access to identifiers and type information of program source.
• The documentation consists of Oberon-2 language report, user's guide, data sheet, implementation notes, 64 bit extensions, and ISO Modula-2 Library Interface Modules and Examples for Oberon-2.
• Distribution media is 4mm DAT-cassette or TK-70 cartridge tape as OpenVMS backup-save-set. Other media on request.
• More A2O details