Re: Moving VAX into 21 century :-)

[Dave McGuire <mcguire%neurotica.com@localhost>]

On 8/28/19 1:00 PM, John Wilson wrote:
> [de-lurk]
> From: Paul Koning <paulkoning%comcast.net@localhost>
>> There is a surprising number of newer architectures that don't do IEEE.
>> See https://gcc.gnu.org/backends.html, the column marked "I".  And then
>> there is SPU, which has IEEE float format but no NaN or Inf.  These don't
>> seem to be NetBSD platforms, admittedly.  But it doesn't appear to be true
>> that "all modern CPUs do IEEE".
> 
> As an assembly-language zealot, I do find it funny when HLL users are
> totally comfortable quietly depending on non-portable architectural details,
> when IMHO portability is the *only* point of HLLs (if you're going to write
> non-portable code, why let it be fat and slow too?).  Just because IEEE FP
> seems to be everywhere for some people doesn't mean anybody promised it to
> them everywhere they'll ever go.  So I'd agree that this sounds like a bug
> in Python.
> 
> Meanwhile, if passing pedantic test suites DOES seem important, well then
> I guess speed ISN'T important.  So I'd argue that any true-IEEE-compatible
> mode might as well be all software (so it'd be all library calls -- no need
> to add trap overhead to do it with fake opcodes, unless there's an added
> plan to make them *real* opcodes in an emulator), and should have a way to
> turn it off for compiling truly portable code that'll run fast.

  I agree on all points here.  (not that you asked ;))

> REALLY dumb question:  does GCC run on VMS?  Definitely want to keep the
> usual calling convention around as an option if so.

  Yes, GCC has run under VMS for many, many years.  I seem to recall
installing GCC 1.38 under VMS at work when it was current.

              -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA