DOS ain't dead

GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager (Announce)

posted by jaybur  , UK, 01.12.2007, 15:24

> Now, I know you're not naive, but have you tried Virtual Pascal (w/ DOS
> hacks)?

Yes, but as you say, DOS support has always been a hack with VP. It's also never supported [any?] Delphi language extensions and doesn't have a source-level debugger that will work with DOS (AFAIK).

> And of course you know about FreePascal, but I guess that's not stable
> enough yet.

FreePascal has effectively dropped support for DOS. There are current murmurings about trying to get a DOS version working again (Laaca probably knows more about this than me), but I won't hold my breath. However, this would be a way to go if they do get it working properly (with the HX or other thread-capable extender), since it has a half-decent debugger.

> There's also GNU Pascal. Others exist too, but I dunno of any decent (i.e.
> compatible) no-cost ones.

GNU Pascal is a piece of Unix-centric rubbish which for the last God-knows-how-many-years has only had two maintainers, which isn't enough because they can't even keep up with new GCC releases, let alone add anything new.

What I have done however is started a 32-bit port to Delphi. I have most of Graphic Vision (100,000+ lines of Pascal and 10,000+ lines of assembler) working in Delphi2006/Windows/DirectDraw. With my Hardware and Environment Abstraction Layer (HEAL) already written, and Japheth's HX extender, this will shortly (< 6 months) also be able to run under DOS/DPMI. I hope the next major version of GVFM will be 32-bit. Debugging its DOS-specific code with not be easy though.

> P.S. Yes, many good apps have been written in Pascal. I feel C is okay, but
> as they say, "Use the right tool for the job." (But I don't know Pascal ...
> yet.)

I just get so annoyed at how obfuscated the C/C++ syntax is that I always give up trying to learn it (again).

Complete thread:

• GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 30.11.2007, 07:21 (Announce)
  • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Laaca, 30.11.2007, 07:33
    • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 30.11.2007, 07:52
      • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Rugxulo, 01.12.2007, 09:12
        • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 01.12.2007, 15:24
          • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - flox, 01.12.2007, 21:04
          • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Rugxulo, 01.12.2007, 23:10
            • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Laaca, 02.12.2007, 00:01
              • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 02.12.2007, 05:19
                • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Laaca, 02.12.2007, 10:50
            • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 02.12.2007, 04:52
    • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - RayeR, 01.12.2007, 02:50
      • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 01.12.2007, 02:54
        • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - RayeR, 01.12.2007, 14:14
          • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 01.12.2007, 16:02
            • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Laaca, 01.12.2007, 20:36
              • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 02.12.2007, 05:05
                • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Rugxulo, 14.12.2007, 19:16
                  • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 14.12.2007, 22:37
                    • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - Rugxulo, 14.12.2007, 23:49
                      • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 15.12.2007, 23:23
                        • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - Rugxulo, 16.12.2007, 00:54
                          • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 16.12.2007, 08:41
                            • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - Rugxulo, 18.12.2007, 03:30
                              • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - rr, 18.12.2007, 10:37
                              • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 18.12.2007, 14:46
                                • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - Rugxulo, 19.12.2007, 03:03
                                  • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 19.12.2007, 04:04
                                    • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - Rugxulo, 19.12.2007, 17:33
                                      • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 19.12.2007, 19:07
                                    • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - DOS386, 19.12.2007, 20:38
                                      • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - jaybur, 19.12.2007, 22:55
                                        • UNIVBE - DOS386, 19.12.2007, 23:30
                              • Chasm: The Rift (3D DOS FPS written in BP7) demo - DOS386, 18.12.2007, 21:23
              • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - RayeR, 03.12.2007, 12:04
  • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Steve, 30.11.2007, 09:22
    • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 30.11.2007, 16:39
  • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - flox, 01.12.2007, 13:25
    • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - jaybur, 01.12.2007, 15:54
      • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - Japheth, 01.12.2007, 17:21
      • GVFM 2.62 Graphical File Manager - flox, 01.12.2007, 20:50