[ANN] V4.0 of Astrobe (ARM Oberon Development System) is out now

We have just released V4.0 of Astrobe, the ARM Oberon Development System for
embedded microcontrollers. All the details can be found on the Astrobe
website at:

http://www.astrobe.com

With V4.0, Astrobe now fully supports the 2011 Revision (22.9.2011) of the
Oberon language. The language report can be downloaded from the Oberon page
at the Astrobe website or from Prof Wirth's Oberon page at:

http://www.inf.ethz.ch/personal/wirt...es/Oberon.html

Regards,
Chris Burrows
CFB Software

Hi,
Not a direct reply re: Astrobe, but I hope you don't mind.

On Nov 27, 12:41*am, "Chris Burrows" <cfbsoftw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> We have just released V4.0 of Astrobe, the ARM Oberon Development System for
> embedded microcontrollers. All the details can be found on the Astrobe
> website at:
>
> http://www.astrobe.com
>
> With V4.0, Astrobe now fully supports the 2011 Revision (22.9.2011) of the
> Oberon language.

(confusing) I guess you mean the 2011 revision of the Oberon-07
language??

> The language report can be downloaded from the Oberon page
> at the Astrobe website or from Prof Wirth's Oberon page at:
>
> http://www.inf.ethz.ch/personal/wirt...es/Oberon.html

I've been meaning to ask but too sheepish to do it ... how many
Oberon-07 compilers exist? I mean, this is an incredibly obvious
question, but how can us mere mortals use it if we don't use ARM? Or
are there none? (I generally see some interest in it, but as general
purpose languages go, it's clearly not popular enough to have various
platforms well-covered. I guess just lack of man power, oh well. Is
there perhaps any Oberon-07 compiler written in a previous Oberon
version? Or do I need to read up on Oberon-0 and roll my own?)

>
>"Rugxulo" <rugxulo@gmail.com> wrote in message
>news:<914076c0-6d03-4a22-878f-13f915aab99e@l19g2000yqc.googlegr
>oups.com>...
>Hi,
> Not a direct reply re: Astrobe, but I hope you don't mind.
>

Not at all!

>On Nov 27, 12:41 am, "Chris Burrows" <cfbsoftw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> With V4.0, Astrobe now fully supports the 2011 Revision
>(22.9.2011) of
>> the Oberon language.
>
>(confusing) I guess you mean the 2011 revision of the
>Oberon-07 language??
>

No - I don't call it that. The title on Wirth's report which we used as the
defining document for the compiler implemented in Astrobe v4.0 and is
included with the Astrobe distribution is: "The Programming Language Oberon.
Revision 22.9.2011." I'll just call it Oberon here.

>
>I've been meaning to ask but too sheepish to do it ... how many
>Oberon-07 compilers exist?

I have heard of the existence of at least five: Win32, Linux, Xilinx FPGA,
O-Code and native on Oberon OS as well as a Win32 version we use inhouse.

> I mean, this is an incredibly
>obvious question, but how can us mere mortals use it if we
>don't use ARM?

Try using ARM. If you just want to experiment with Oberon there are a number
of ARM boards which you can use to run fairly complex applications which use
all of Oberon's features for around $50. There are a number listed here:

http://www.astrobe.com/boards.htm

> Or are there none? (I generally see some
>interest in it, but as general purpose languages go, it's
>clearly not popular enough to have various platforms
>well-covered. I guess just lack of man power, oh well. Is
>there perhaps any Oberon-07 compiler written in a previous
>Oberon version? Or do I need to read up on Oberon-0 and roll my own?)
>----------
>

From our experience it's much easier to start with a superset of Oberon
(e.g. Component Pascal) and cut things out rather than a very limited subset
(e.g. Oberon-0) to which you have to add features.

AFAIR we got a Win32 compiler going in a couple of weeks by starting with
Oberon microsystems' Component Pascal compiler. The complete source code is
included in their BlackBox Component Builder system which you can download
from their website. Such a project is fine for personal or inhouse use but
not for wide distribution - which maybe why you haven't come across any
others. The effort was less than 1% of what it would take to make it into a
thoroughly documented, tested, maintained and supported product.

Regards,
Chris

Chris Burrows
CFB Software
Astrobe v4.0 ARM Oberon Development System
http://www.astrobe.com

Hi,
Sorry for delay, kept debating whether my dribble is worth posting
or not.

On Nov 29, 6:10*am, "Chris Burrows" <cfbsoftw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >"Rugxulo" <rugx...@gmail.com> wrote in message
> ><news:914076c0-6d03-4a22-878f-13f915aab99e@l19g2000yqc.googlegr
> >oups.com>...
>
> >On Nov 27, 12:41 am, "Chris Burrows" <cfbsoftw...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> With V4.0, Astrobe now fully supports the 2011 Revision
> >(22.9.2011) of
> >> the Oberon language.
>
> >(confusing) I guess you mean the 2011 revision of the
> >Oberon-07 language??
>
> No - I don't call it that. The title on Wirth's report which we used as the
> defining document for the compiler implemented in Astrobe v4.0 and is
> included with the Astrobe distribution is: "The Programming Language Oberon.
> Revision 22.9.2011." I'll just call it Oberon here.

Well, his link and filename still say Oberon07. Plus, the other
"Oberon" [sic] link / filename is dated "Revision 1.10.90". ;-)

> >I've been meaning to ask but too sheepish to do it ... how many
> >Oberon-07 compilers exist?
>
> I have heard of the existence of at least five: Win32, Linux, Xilinx FPGA,
> O-Code and native on Oberon OS as well as a Win32 version we use inhouse.

They must hide them well. Of course, I've already dug around a bit,
searching for various Oberon compilers. They all have tradeoffs that
somehow irk me (mostly lack of portability). I've dabbled but only
very very lightly.

> > I mean, this is an incredibly
> >obvious question, but how can us mere mortals use it if we
> >don't use ARM?
>
> Try using ARM. If you just want to experiment with Oberon there are a number
> of ARM boards which you can use to run fairly complex applications which use
> all of Oberon's features for around $50. There are a number listed here:
>
> http://www.astrobe.com/boards.htm

Thanks, but I'm fairly certain that's out of my league. I would feel
very insecure trying to use such tools.

> > Or are there none? (I generally see some
> >interest in it, but as general purpose languages go, it's
> >clearly not popular enough to have various platforms
> >well-covered. I guess just lack of man power, oh well. Is
> >there perhaps any Oberon-07 compiler written in a previous
> >Oberon version? Or do I need to read up on Oberon-0 and roll my own?)
> >----------
>
> From our experience it's much easier to start with a superset of Oberon
> (e.g. Component Pascal) and cut things out rather than a very limited subset
> (e.g. Oberon-0) to which you have to add features.

Top down vs. bottom up, I get it. ;-) No, seriously, I dunno.
It's not that I really "need" to write or build my own compiler, but I
seem inclined that way (despite no real experience or skill, meh).
Gimme a few years. ;-)

> AFAIR we got a Win32 compiler going in a couple of weeks by starting with
> Oberon microsystems' Component Pascal compiler. The complete source code is
> included in their BlackBox Component Builder system which you can download
> from their website. Such a project is fine for personal or inhouse use but
> not for wide distribution - which maybe why you haven't come across any
> others. The effort was less than 1% of what it would take to make it intoa
> thoroughly documented, tested, maintained and supported product.

There are no shortcuts, apparently.

"Rugxulo" <rugxulo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:be667651-f23c-4c85-8083-4e10796995a9@v5g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

> It's not that I really "need" to write or build my own compiler, but I
> seem inclined that way (despite no real experience or skill, meh).

Don't let that put you off. I had no real experience or skill either until I
started. Just make one or two small changes to start off with. It's amazing
what it does for your confidence when you see them working