In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, PJMonty wrote: Hey Boys and Girls! Just wanted to provide a quick update on the C compiler support status. First of all, you should understand that this involves work back and forth between two companies - CCS and Parallax. Second, when I say "Parallax", I really mean "me". Third, when I say... "me", I mean the me who is not an employee of Parallax, but just a sub-contractor working for Parallax on the SX-Key IDE. Fourth, when I say... well, let me just add that I took on a full time job a few months ago that shipped me to Hong Kong, and there is a 16 hour time difference between myself and Parallax or CCS. Okay, now that you have a tiny bit of history on who is working on this and the status of the players, let me explain a little further. Anytime you have two companies working back and forth via email to write software that has to work together, it just takes longer than you think it will. Add in Christmas holidays and me being thousands of miles away, and it just gets a little slower yet. Now, having said all of that, I think we [b]may[/b] have overcome the last of the nagging problems. I have just sent a beta copy of the SX-Key IDE to CCS for them to test. Now, before you get too excited, bear in mind that they may write back in a few days (or more... or less) and tell me that there is some major problem I missed or created. This could send me back to working on the code some more, followed by sending a copy to CCS, etc, etc. So, in the interest of helping everyone on the forum who is interested about the C compiler support, I put together the FAQ below based on some hypothetical questions that I believe people want answered. [list]Thanks, PeterM[/list] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [b][u]The CCS compiler support FAQ:[/u][/b] Please understand that [i]I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR PARALLAX, THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BELOW ARE STRICTLY MY OWN:[/i] [b]1 - Is [i]any[/i] work actually happening on adding support for the CCS compiler to the SX-Key IDE?[/b] [i]You bet work is actually happening. It just takes a lot longer to write software that will be used and abused by a huge number of people than it does to write a program that is only going to be used by yourself. Even simple changes need to be tested to prevent thousands of users from angrily calling Parallax complaining about a problem in the new software release. I also try to make the whole IDE backward compatible so that you don't have to do a lot of work to get started with the new version of the IDE. [/i] [b]2 - Are you guys lazy bums, or just people who like to tease about release dates?[/b] [i]Personally, I don't think of myself as lazy, and as for being a tease? Well, that's not something I've ever really been accused of in the past, so I assume I'm not. Say, you [b]are[/b] kind of cute. Don't touch me.[/i] [b]3 - Duke Nukem... Duke Nukem...[/b] [i]Are you completely high? When we hit our first decade of development (or however long it's has been with Duke) without a release, feel free to burn me in public effigy. Until then? Relax. It's coming. Would I lie to you?[/i] [b]4- When it will be done and ready for public download?[/b] [i]I don't know. I'm not ignorant and I'm not dodging the question. CCS modifies their code, and they send it to me. I modify my code, and I send it to them. Lather, rinse, repeat. The day we stop sending stuff back and forth is the day it's done and you'll be among the very first to know.[/i] [b]5 - Am I going to be dazzled and amazed with the new compiler support? Will it be everything I hope for?[/b] [i]I seriously doubt it. It's software. It's a matter of personal taste.[/i] [b]6 - Will it work exactly like I expect it to?[/b] [i]See the answer to question 5.[/i] [b]7 - If I'm not thrilled, will it ever be changed until I am?[/b] [i]As long as the changes are reasonable and would [b]benefit the majority of the user base[/b], it's quite likely. Work on the the IDE is almost never completely dormant. At the very least, I do bug fixes on my own as I discover them while working with the SX-Key. Yes, I'm a user as well as the current software developer on the SX-Key IDE, and I use it just like you do to make projects with the SX-Key.[/i] [b]8 - Will I be aware of big changes the moment I start the IDE?[/b] [i]I doubt it. As a rule of thumb, I try to make things as seamless and invisible as possible. Most of the changes are subtler and more internal. It's not like Quicken where every new version has a completely new interface you have to learn. The Sx-Key tends to look and feel the same from release to release, only it has some new features and/or bug fixes.[/i] [b]9 - This is taking so long, [i]I[/i] could write it faster than you bozos. Why don't you open source it so the community can take a crack at it? Then you'll see how fast things get changed![/b] [i]Funny you should mention open source. A few years back, there was a great hue and cry to open source the IDE since Parallax hadn't done any work on it in a long time. Parallax listened and Parallax heard, and they released the IDE at the time as an open source project. So, after the download stampede was over, how many people ever modified or improved the code and released it back to the public? Exactly one - Me. Not exactly a shining example of the power of the open source community to rush in and solve the problem. But hey, at least I did my part.[/i] [b]10 - I hate you! You suck![/b] [i]I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well. It sounded like you asked me to slow down and take as long as I need, but that would be silly, right?[/i] [b]11 - I look forward to the new version.[/b] [i]Me too.[/i] [b]12 - Hey, stop wasting time writing FAQs and get back to writing code.[/b] [i]Good point. This FAQ is now officially concluded.[/i] ---------- End of Message ---------- You can view the post on-line at: http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=7&p=2&m=95712#m109141 Need assistance? Send an email to the Forum Administrator at forumadmin@parallax.com The Parallax Forums are powered by dotNetBB Forums, copyright 2002-2006 (http://www.dotNetBB.com)