GNU Pascal (GPC) is a
Pascal compiler
In computing, a compiler is a computer program that Translator (computing), translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primaril ...
composed of a frontend to
GNU Compiler Collection
The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) is a collection of compilers from the GNU Project that support various programming languages, Computer architecture, hardware architectures, and operating systems. The Free Software Foundation (FSF) distributes ...
(GCC), similar to the way
Fortran and other languages were added to GCC. GNU Pascal is
ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Me ...
7185 compatible, and it implements most of the ISO 10206 Extended Pascal standard.
GPC Manual
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The major advantage of piggybacking GNU Pascal on the GCC compiler is that it is instantly portable
Portable may refer to:
General
* Portable building, a manufactured structure that is built off site and moved in upon completion of site and utility work
* Portable classroom, a temporary building installed on the grounds of a school to provide a ...
to any platform the GCC compiler supports. However since GPC is a frontend, it does have to adapt if major changes are done to GCC (like a major new version). Typically, new major versions are adopted only slowly (still mostly at 3.x, with 4.x experimental builds). This is probably one of the reasons why developers are looking at a C targeting backend.
In July 2010 a develope
publicly asked opinion
(it vanished from the web between July 2014 and June 2015) on the future of GNU Pascal, due to developer shortage and maintenance issues as a GCC port. There was a
where the developers seemed to lean towards reimplementing in C++ with a C code generating backend. The maillist went to sleep again, and no further releases or announcements about the future course of the project have been made.
Dev-Pascal
Dev-Pascal is a free integrated development environment (IDE) distributed under the GNU General Public License for programming in Pascal and Object Pascal. It supports an ancient version of the Free Pascal compiler and GNU Pascal as backends. T ...
is a graphical IDE that supports GNU Pascal.
See also
* Free Pascal
Free Pascal Compiler (FPC) is a compiler for the closely related programming-language dialects Pascal and Object Pascal. It is free software released under the GNU General Public License, witexception clausesthat allow static linking against it ...
* Lazarus (software)
Lazarus is a cross-platform, integrated development environment (IDE) for rapid application development (RAD) using the Free Pascal compiler. Its goal is to provide an easy-to-use development environment for developing with the Object Pascal la ...
Notes
External links
GNU Pascal info at freepascal.org wiki
Standard Pascal
– Resources and history of original, standard Pascal
– An early Pascal history resource containing many letters from Wirth and others concerning Pascal
Pascal and its Successors
– An article by Niklaus Wirth about the development of Pascal, Modula-2 and Oberon
Software using the GNU General Public License
Pascal (programming language) compilers
Pascal programming language family
Procedural programming languages
Statically typed programming languages
Structured programming languages
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