On Thu, 13 Apr 2000, Alan B Pearce wrote:

> Has anyone tried to modify the Small C compiler that appeared in Dr Dobbs
> Journal a few years back, so it will produce PIC assembler source? This compiler
> was (may still be) available on CD from Dr Dobbs in the last couple of years.

Yeah there was a pic translation called pic_cc, by John Favata. It generated
pure crap. It is absolutely pathetic. One problem is that the Small C compiler
assumes a ram based stack. Another problem is that there is no optimization.
(John, if you're out there, I don't mean any kind of personal attack... I'm
stating the facts I've observed).

The consequence is that instead of being 25 or 50% larger, it generated code
that was 400 to 1000% larger. I'm not exagerating!

BTW, I'm almost embarassed to admit it, but I hacked pic_cc to compile under
Linux. You can get it here:

http://www.dattalo.com/gnupic/pic_cc.tar.gz

You can get the window's version on the gnupic webpage: http://www.gnupic.org/

If you wish to check it out feel free to do so. However, I can't offer any
technical assistance.

BTW, AnyC is gcc based project that is attempting to produce a pic c
compiler. The source code (or at least a link to it) is also available on the
gnupic webpage. It's a work in progress - a euphemism for a hobby. But it's
taking a better approach at generating a Pic C compiler.

Scott


>
> This particular compiler used a subset of the K & R C definition to generate the
> appropriate assembler source code which then had to be assembled. My memories of
> looking at the code was it would be easy to change it to any processor.
>
> The original version produced Z80 source, but I am aware that modified versions
> existed that produced 8086 and at least one of the Motorola processor families
> source code.
>