From: Yamaha / XYZZ <scriven AT CS DOT ColoState DOT edu>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Is djgpp better than Watcom C?
Date: Wed, 16 Oct 1996 11:23:03 -0600
Organization: XYZZ Software Co.
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Message-ID: <326519F7.15FB@CS.ColoState.edu>
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Ian Mausolus wrote:
> 
> I'd like to know if DJGPP is better/superior to Watcom C, and if you think
> it is why?  I'm considering switching but only if it is actually worth it!

It depends on what you care about in a compiler.

As a djgpp user, my first inclination is to answer, "Yes!  DJGPP is
better!"; but that is because I care about its strengths more than I
care about Watcom's strengths.

If you've already got Watcom C, then you can consider both compilers to
be "free", so (for once) money wouldn't be an issue.

However, I've never seen a direct comparison of Watcom 10.x and DJGPP 2.

Some of DJGPP's strengths are;
	Awesome command-line handling (wildcard expansion better than most unix
shells)
	Amazing optimization (I'm pretty sure it optimizes better than Watcom)
	It does inline assembly much like Watcom does
	The assembly language syntax is easier (once you learn it, anyway)
	It's free.
	The source is freely available (and you can modify it if you like)
	It's much more portable (especially to unix), in general.
	Updates are free.
	There are lots of nice tools for it, for almost any purpose.
	It's got a Turbo Vision IDE available.
	There are some rather nice C extensions (like custom filestream stuff,
so you could treat a sound card's output like a file if you wished)
	Automatic Long Filename Support when running under 'Doze 95.
	DJGPP programs can be multitasked with each other.
	And lots of other stuff that escapes me at the moment.


-- Yamaha / XYZZ
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