Microsoft C 5.1 Product Info (long)

[MH Cox]

The following is a rather lengthy description of the new features
of Microsoft C 5.1.  This info came from the USAF Academy (who are
acting as beta testers, product evaluators, etc. for the Air Force)
and, as I understand it, is directly from Microsoft product literature
(so take everything written with a grain of salt :-).  Also, I've
added a little editorial commentary, indicated by the '>' in the first
column.


 Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler Version 5.1 Product Information

 Introduction
   Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler Version 5.1 is Microsoft's
 latest enhancement to its industry-leading C compiler, targeted
 for personal computers running the MS OS/2 or MS-DOS operating
 systems.

 Product Features
   Targeted for the professional applications developer,
 Microsoft C 5.1 supports the creation, compilation, and debugging
 of both MS-DOS real-mode and MS OS/2 real mode and protected-mode
 applications. This broad operating system support, together with
 outstanding code optimization, CodeView debugging, prototyping
 with QuickC, and a host of utilities, make Microsoft C Optimizing
 Compiler 5.1 the ultimate development environment.
>The OS/2 support is new...

 MS OS/2 Support
   Microsoft C 5.1 fully supports both MS OS/2 and MS-DOS. Under
 MS OS/2 programs can break the 640K barrier of the MS-DOS
 environment. Applications can use up to 16MB of RAM and 1
 gigabyte of virtual memory.
   Microsoft C 5.1 also supports the creation of dynamic link
 libraries and multi-threaded applications. Included in the
 package are a host of OS/2 utilities such as BIND and IMPLIB. To
 make OS/2 multi-thread and dynamic link library (DLL) programming
 easier, Microsoft has added the "dataseg" pragma and "_export"
 and "_loadds" statements. A "_saveregs" statement has been added
 to support an easy way to ensure that all registers are saved
 before an external routine is called. Included is an OS/2
 Incremental Linker, a protected-mode editor, and a protected-mode
 version of CodeView that supports debugging of multi-threaded
 applications as well as dynamic link libraries.
>Debugging multi-threaded programs should be interesting.  If OS/2
>CodeView is as good at debugging OS/2 programs as MS-DOS CodeView
>is at debugging MS-DOS programs, we should have a really
>indispensible tool here.  Debugging multi-threaded programs seems
>like a nightmare to me.

 Code Optimization
   The Microsoft C Optimizing Compiler 5.1 is the fastest C
 compiler available for personal computers. Optimizations include
 loop enregistering to store the most commonly used expressions in
 registers, induction variables that turn multiplications by the
 control variables into additions, and constant folding that
 accomplishes most constant arithmetic at compile time and
 replaces the result in the generated code.
>Same as MSC 5.0.  But the big question is:  do they work! :-)

   In addition, for nearly 20 intrinsic functions the programmer
 has the option of substituting inline code instead of the runtime
 library call. This would include functions such as inp, memset,
 memcpy, and strcpy. This form of procedure embedding can have
 dramatic effect on programs that make very heavy use of these
 intrinsic functions.
>According to articles on the net, this was a very buggy feature
>under MSC 5.0.  Speaking of bugs...

 Prototyping with QuickC for MS-DOS
   Microsoft C 5.1 includes Microsoft QuickC, which lets
 programmers edit, compile, debug, and execute code in an
 integrated environment for real-mode applications.
   The QuickC environment provides an editor that helps
 programmers write code quickly. Supporting the Windows 2.0
 keyboard interface as well as WordStar keystroke combinations,
 QuickC also supports bracket, brace, and parenthesis matching and
 a hot key to allow the programmer to switch back and forth
 between two source files. In addition, QuickC supports both 25-
 and 43-line screen modes on EGA monitors.
>See related posting of mine on their new programming editor.
>Briefly, it is a multi-window, multi-file, keyboard macro editor
>that allows you to extend it by writing your own C-code and 
>linking it with an editor library editor!

   The integrated environment in QuickC gives the programmer an
 efficient, intelligent way to construct programs, including
 automatic MAKE file creation. For multiple-module programs, a
 MAKE file controls what source code is compiled and linked to
 create the final .EXE file. The MAKE file created by QuickC is
 completely compatible with the standard MAKE utility provided
 with all Microsoft languages.
   When it comes to fast prototyping, the best thing about QuickC
 is the speed at which a programmer can go from the creation to
 the compile, link, and debug cycles of application development.
 The integrated debugger in QuickC provides a subset of the
 popular CodeView's functionality. The integrated debugger allows
 programmers to single-step, animate, or execute at full speed. In
 addition, the QuickC debugger supports viewing the value of
 variables or expressions while the program is executing.
>No new features here.  Hopefully, it will be minus the bugs...

 CodeView Debugging
   Microsoft CodeView, included with Microsoft C 5.1, is a
 window-oriented source-level debugger that gives the programmer
 precise control of every step of the debugging process.
   Now, with full OS/2 support, CodeView lets you debug very
 large programs -- up to 128megabytes under MS OS/2. In addition,
 programmers can debug multiple-thread applications--freezing or
 single-stepping individual threads of execution within the
>This I gotta see!  It's tempting just to get OS/2 to watch CodeView
>stepping through a multi-thread program!
 program being developed. CodeView can also debug dynamic link
 libraries (DLL). It supports VGA.
   With new support for the Expanded Memory Specification,
 CodeView can debug bigger applications than before under MS-DOS.
   Microsoft CodeView features a visual interface similar to
 Microsoft Windows 2.0 which, along with on-line help and plain
 English commands, make CodeView extremely easy to learn and use.
   Multiple windows let the developer simultaneously view source
 code, variables, registers, and the stack. While the program is
 executing, the programmer has access to viewing and manipulating
 all local and global variables. For the first time, the
 programmer can display data structures and interactively follow
 linked lists and nested structures ("data browsing"). In
 addition, programmers can set watchpoints and tracepoints to stop
 the program's execution when a certain condition becomes true or
 changes value.
   Since Microsoft CodeView is the debugger supplied with all
 Microsoft Languages, it debugs mixed-language applications. Users
 of Microsoft C can link Microsoft BASIC Compiler, Macro
 Assembler, and FORTRAN routines to their C application, plus
 QuickBASIC and QuickC on MS-DOS. CodeView completely supports all
 these languages.

 ANSI C Standard Compatibility
   The Microsoft Optimizing C Compiler 5.1 is a full UNIX System
 C language. In addition, C 5.1 complies with the latest draft
 of the ANSI standard for the C language. Microsoft, a member of
 the ANSI committee, is committed to validating Microsoft C for
 full ANSI conformance when a standard is formally adopted.
>I wonder it they will support the infamous 'noalias' syntax, or
>just give it half-hearted support as it did the unary-plus operator.

 Extensive Math Options
   Microsoft C 5.1 gives the application developer the choice of
 three math libraries, each of which has unique benefits depending
 on the hardware configuration of the target machine. If an
 8087/287 math coprocessor is available, C 5.1 supports a very
 small, fast math coprocessor library offering 80-bit precision. A
 floating point emulator offers the same 80-bit representation,
 but does not require that a coprocessor be present (it will take
 advantage of the math coprocessor if one is present). If the
 developer is sure that a math coprocessor will not be present and
 needs the fastest possible math, he can select the alternate math
 package, which is faster than the emulator package and supports
 64-bit precision.
>Nothing new here...

 Memory Model Support
   Microsoft C 5.1 supports five memory models to provide the
 application developer the best possible flexibility. In addition
 to supporting small, compact, medium, large, and huge, the
 Microsoft C product was the first C compiler to bring mixed-model
 programming to the personal computer. This allows the programmer
 to mix memory models by using the NEAR, FAR, and HUGE keywords on
 data declarations.
>Nothing new here...

 Product Background
   Microsoft C was first introduced in 1983. In 1985, Microsoft
 announced the Microsoft C Compiler Version 3.0. This was an
 entirely new product, the retail manifestation of the product
 Microsoft had been using internally for several years. Version
 3.0 brought mixed memory model support to personal computer C
 compilers for the first time.
   In the summer of 1986, Microsoft introduced Microsoft C
 Optimizing Compiler 4.0 with CodeView providing source-level
 debugging. Offering huge performance gains over non-optimizing
 compilers, this product set the standard for optimizing C
 compilers for the personal computer industry.
   In the summer of 1987, Microsoft introduced Microsoft C
 Optimizing Compiler 5.0 and Microsoft QuickC. C 5.0 represented
 another step forward in optimization technology, and QuickC
 represented the ideal environment to both learn the C language
 and prototype C applications.
>... and didn't ship until Nov 87!

   At the same time, Microsoft introduced Microsoft C 4.5 in the
 Microsoft OS/2 Software Development Kit. C 5.1 represents the
 OS/2 support from C 4.5 and the optimization enhancements from C
 5.0.

-- 

==========================================================================
Michael H. Cox			ARPA:  cox at garage.nj.att.com
AT&T Bell Labs			UUCP:  ihnp4!bentley!cox
184 Liberty Corner Road		COMPU$ERVE:  76525,3703
Rm 3N-D04
Warren, NJ  07060		(I'm not sure about the ARPA address!)
(201) 580-8622
==========================================================================