From: Paul Guyot (pguyot_at_kallisys.net)
Date: Tue May 11 2004 - 10:04:40 PDT
Aux environs du 11/05/04 à 12:33 -0400, sous le titre "[NTLK]
Feasibility of getting away from NTK", Zachery Bir prit sa plus belle
plume pour écrire les mots suivants:
>Is this feasible *at all*? If so, I'd love to participate to some
>degree.
There is no real separation between the code and the layout in NTK
like there is between Interface Builder and Xcode. Additionally, NTK
doesn't compile C++ code on the contrary to what you seem to think
but NewtonScript code.
What is doable is:
(a) to replace Newton C++ Tools with native, open source tools.
(b) to replace NTK with something else capable of compiling NewtonScript code.
As far as (a) is concerned, NCT produce either NSOF binaries or
Packages (protocol parts). Everything is documented and it's mearly a
matter of gluing bits together.
- we need to get gcc to compile code from NewtonOS headers. This is
totally doable and Simon and I actually did compile PowerPC code from
NewtonOS headers with gcc.
- gcc generates ELF binaries, while NCT tools and libraries work with
AOF/AIF formats. We can either translate ELF from/to AIF/AOF or
directly convert AOF libraries once for all and process ELF binaries
directly to Packages/NSOF binaries for NTK.
Please note, however, that last time I did check, gcc was much better
than NCT compilers as far as C++ standards are concerned but
completely pathetic as fas as code generation was concerned.
Additionally, we will encounter problems with C++ runtime
conventions. The NCT compilers convention even changed between
NewtonOS 2.0 and NewtonOS 2.1.
(b) probably would be more fun. Plus the NewtonScript compiler's
native code generation definitely could be improved. Even generated
bytecode could be improved. Additionally, since this would requires a
NewtonScript interpreter as well, we would have an open source
NewtonScript toolchain that could be used in totally different
contexts.
How much free time do you have in your hands? :)
Paul
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