Newsgroups: comp.lang.apl
Path: watmath!watserv2.uwaterloo.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uunet.ca!geac!itcyyz!yrloc!rbe
From: rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Robert Bernecky)
Subject: Re: SIGNUM of teaching numerical methods
Message-ID: <1992Aug2.181956.3547@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM>
Reply-To: rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.COM (Robert Bernecky)
Organization: Snake Island Research Inc, Toronto
References: <1992Jul31.195136.3244@cshl.org>
Date: Sun, 2 Aug 92 18:19:56 GMT
Lines: 32

In article <1992Jul31.195136.3244@cshl.org> wchang@cshl.org (Bill Chang) writes:
>Re: syntax translation/macro preprocessing/function restriction
>
>The problem as I see it, is reporting of compile/runtime errors. Preprocessors
>are easy to write but the ones I use (C, TeX/LaTeX) are pretty terrible at 
>this. Error messages are at the level of the language kernel and can bear 
>no resemblance to the source code. I can see how to translate APL error 
>
>An APL to C/Fortran compiler ought to address this too; otherwise it may become 
>easier to hand-translate from scratch (what I often do) than to try to debug 
>code produced by the compiler.

In ACORN, I made several design decisions to assist in this process:
a. Source code was embedded in the generated code as comments.
b. Function names remained invariant over compilation. (Except where
    the Cray stupid 8-character name limit made that impossible) 

The thing I missed most was having the line number available in the
traceback. This could have been achieved with a bit of work,
but time ran out...

Bob





Robert Bernecky      rbe@yrloc.ipsa.reuter.com  bernecky@itrchq.itrc.on.ca 
Snake Island Research Inc  (416) 368-6944   FAX: (416) 360-4694 
18 Fifth Street, Ward's Island
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2B9 
Canada
