Dear all,

Back in the old days before Walter released Zortech C++,
everyone was using some form of C++ -> C front end like
CFront from ATT or Glockenspiel C++ (which was bought by
CA and shelved).

I am trying to develop firmwares on embedded systems like
NEC microcontrollers, 8051-ish chips where C compilers
are plenty but not C++.

Does anyone in this group has some form of C++ to C translator like Glockenspiel C++ which "might" allow me to translate C++ code to C and then compile into ROM code?

As this project is to be handed to others to maintain etc, it would not be nice for me to request others to have a huge learning curve to know those heavy weight cross compiler platform tools on Unix boxes, simple solutions like a C++ translator might do the job.

Let me know about the costings etc etc. if the world is really that cruel, I would need to bite the bullet and do my own translation stuff (hand code).

Better still - Walter make a native compiler for embedded microcontrollers... :-)

> Back in the old days before Walter released Zortech C++,
> everyone was using some form of C++ -> C front end like
> CFront from ATT or Glockenspiel C++ (which was bought by
> CA and shelved).
>
> I am trying to develop firmwares on embedded systems like
> NEC microcontrollers, 8051-ish chips where C compilers
> are plenty but not C++.
>
> Does anyone in this group has some form of C++ to C translator like Glockenspiel C++ which "might" allow me to translate C++ code to C and then compile into ROM code?

I used to have one as well, but I do not seem to be able to find
the sources to it anymore.
If course since I wrote this thing over 10 years ago, it would not
be very up-to-date with the C++ standards anymore. Besides other
things I had understood and implemented wrongly.

> As this project is to be handed to others to maintain etc, it would not be nice for me to request others to have a huge learning curve to know those heavy weight cross compiler platform tools on Unix boxes, simple solutions like a C++ translator might do the job.
>
> Let me know about the costings etc etc. if the world is really that cruel, I would need to bite the bullet and do my own translation stuff (hand code).
>
> Better still - Walter make a native compiler for embedded microcontrollers... :-)

Now that would be really cool!
I have heard there is a 86000 back-end, but I would not know how
up-to-date it is with the current compiler.

Jan

"Jan Knepper" <jan@smartsoft.cc> wrote in message news:3D0E1DF0.43F4B63@smartsoft.cc...

> > Does anyone in this group has some form of C++ to C translator like Glockenspiel C++ which "might" allow me to translate C++ code to C and then compile into ROM code?
>
> I used to have one as well, but I do not seem to be able to find
> the sources to it anymore.
> If course since I wrote this thing over 10 years ago, it would not
> be very up-to-date with the C++ standards anymore. Besides other
> things I had understood and implemented wrongly.

On one hand I don't need templates and etc, just good class support like cfront 1.0 or cfront 2.0 or Glockenspiel would do since my main projects are embedded DOS stuff. On the other hand, I would also like to implement a good thread libraries which can be multi-platform like the NEC V850, so something better would be nice.

I am trying to create a Java-ish thread libraries borrowing those synchronised stuff to avoid using monitors.

Unfortunately I don't own the Glockenspiel C++ and those people
who used to own them has "disposed" of them after Lattice/Visual C++
came out. I am in Australia and stuff like that are quite rare. Even ebay
doesn't have them.

> > Better still - Walter make a native compiler for embedded microcontrollers... :-)
>
> Now that would be really cool!
> I have heard there is a 86000 back-end, but I would not know how
> up-to-date it is with the current compiler.

You mean 68000 back-end?

For the price of those commercial C++ compilers for embedded systems
that are currently out there, we are talking of thousands of dollars. Cygwin
and Redhat does provide cross C++ ports but there are not for normal
"Windows" educated engineers.

The chip sets for the 8051, NEC 78KIV, NEC V850 are Intel based anyway
and wouldn't be hard for someone like Walter. But I think Walter should make
D happen first unless making money is another thing.

Looks like time to dig into the DJGPP...

"KarL" <none@nowhere.org> wrote in message news:aek4pa$1bdr$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Does anyone in this group has some form of C++ to C translator like Glockenspiel C++ which "might" allow me to translate C++ code to C and then compile into ROM code?

Try Comeau C++. It's a translator.

"Walter" <walter@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:aenn27$2hku$2@digitaldaemon.com...
>
> "KarL" <none@nowhere.org> wrote in message news:aek4pa$1bdr$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> > Does anyone in this group has some form of C++ to C translator like Glockenspiel C++ which "might" allow me to translate C++ code to C and then compile into ROM code?
>
> Try Comeau C++. It's a translator.

That's what I had in mind but spelt it wrongly in the subject line. It's Comeau Computing that makes those front end C++ translator for most other C++ compiler maker - Greenhills, Dinkum etc etc.

Thanks for the pointer - I've forgotten the spellings....

"KarL" <none@nowhere.org> wrote in message news:aeojfq$dn5$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> That's what I had in mind but spelt it wrongly in the subject line. It's Comeau Computing that makes those front end C++ translator for most other C++ compiler maker - Greenhills, Dinkum etc etc.
>
> Thanks for the pointer - I've forgotten the spellings....

Comeau Computing packages and sells EDG's translator. I don't think EDG sells to end users, but I think there are several commercial C++ products based on EDG's work.

Greg Comeau runs Comeau Computing, he's a very nice person and has a great product.

"Walter" <walter@digitalmars.com> wrote in message news:aeonir$hsl$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> Comeau Computing packages and sells EDG's translator. I don't think EDG sells to end users, but I think there are several commercial C++ products based on EDG's work.

Yeah, too many.

> Greg Comeau runs Comeau Computing, he's a very nice person and has a great product.

Back when I was in a University, it is easy to make a case to get the
department
to get a license for cfront from AT&T. Unfortunately I cannot see the point
of getting cfront 3.0 from Lucent for USD$995 just to do C++ -> C
translations.

Comeau says its translator is USD$50 just like DMC++ CD. I can afford that I suppose.

Thanks Walter.