Bob Axtell wrote:
> I came across Mikro Pascal (it has C as well). Anybody using it?
> I read the manual last night, and I was very impressed. Its only
> $125 for the pro version.
>
> --Bob
>   

Bob:

I purchased the Pascal compiler late last year and tried to make it play 
with my 18F4620-based Z90 panadapter project 
(www.cliftonlaboratories.com) and abandoned it because it was too buggy 
to use. I love Pascal and had great hopes for the compiler, but the 
Mikro folks seemed too focused on new features and not enough on fixing 
serious bugs in the current releases.

I have not downloaded an update for it in some months, so perhaps some 
of the worst bugs have been sorted out.

I instead wrote the code in Mecanique's BASIC compiler, Swordfish. (This 
is not your grandfather's BASIC, it's really an excellent product with 
about all the bells and whistles one could want.) I found that  
Swordfish (a) produces faster and smaller code than Mikro Pascal did in 
my head-to-head comparisons and (b) even when I was alpha testing 
Swordfish, it was at least as stable (better, actually) than the 
supposed 5th series commercial release version of Mikro Pascal. 
Swordfish info at http://www.sfcompiler.co.uk/swordfish/

[My original idea was to parallel develop Swordfish and Mikro Pascal 
versions of the code, as a backup in the event that Swordfish had 
problems, as at that point it was only an early alpha test release. 
After several weeks of parallel development, I found that the Swordfish 
compiled code consistently worked, or if it it didn't, the bug was fixed 
within a day or two, and that the supposed stable commercial Pascal 
compiler was seriously broken and that it was not being fixed. Hence, I 
dumped the Pascal plans and went 100% Swordfish, which turns out to have 
been an excellent decision.]

Usual disclaimer -- my relationship with Swordfish's developer is that 
I've been an alpha and beta tester of the Swordfish compiler and have 
been highly impressed with what I've seen. No financial links, etc.

Jack
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