From: GianPiero Puccioni <gip AT firefox DOT ino DOT it>
Subject: Use of djgpp
To: djgpp AT sun DOT soe DOT clarkson DOT edu
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 94 10:21:12 LEG
Mailer: Elm [revision: 66.25]

>
>Thomas Eifert, quoting someone, writes:
>
>> > There are two uses for djgpp: (1) port unix software to DOS and (2) get
>> > around the 640K limit in new or existing DOS software.  I doubt anyone has
>> > any statistics on which use is more common, but it sounds like your use is
>> > primarily #1 while mine is primarily #2.
>> > 
>> If the decision between (1) and (2) imposes the further direction for
>> djgpp, I'd indeed suggest to collect the opinions.
>
>I am using djgpp because it gets around the 640k limit in DOS. About portability,
>the changes having to be done in a program to run in DOS or UNIX are similar to
>what has to be done with other C compilers.
>A program compiled with djgpp appears also to be somewhat faster that the same
>program compiled with Borland C (I didn't try other compilers).
>And the GRX graphics routines are better than the BGI routines, specially
>in speed (even when the bcc2grx package is used for compatibility).
>
>Antonio Carlos M. de Queiroz
>

That's my case too, even if I port some program from Unix. But those are
programs I myself wrote and the only problem is the 640K limit. In fact
the only part I have to change is the graphics, there are a couple
function missing from GRX that gave me problems, but otherwise with DJGPP I
can write the same program to run on Unix and on a PC, which is wonderful.

Now that I started working with DJGPP, I'd like to use it more on PCs. The
problem is : can it be used with libraries made for Microsoft or Borland?
I am talking about libraries made to work with acquisition boards ( DA/AD
or video acquisition) and that come without any source so cannot be
recompiled. From what I read I think the answer is no, but will it be
possible in future releases? A "call" function to interface with "bad old
DOS" ? Being sure that you use variables that are "properly placed" and
with some restrictions? Or am I wishing too much?

Thanks,
      
                GianPiero
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