Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 15:28:08 +0800 (GMT)
From: Orlando Andico <orly AT dilnet DOT upd DOT edu DOT ph>
Reply-To: Orlando Andico <orly AT dilnet DOT upd DOT edu DOT ph>
To: Nate Eldredge <eldredge AT ap DOT net>
cc: Hermann Strijewski <herman AT sprynet DOT com>, djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Accessing FoxPRO or dBASE files from DJGPP
In-Reply-To: <199709090429.VAA27671@adit.ap.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.93.970909151402.3177A-100000@gibson>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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On Mon, 8 Sep 1997, Nate Eldredge wrote:

..
> >You can find it at http://www.on-the-net.net/x2c/
> >
> >It has a C-language interface, so you can call the database functions from
> >a C program. The source code is "freely" available -- that is, if you have
> >US$100 to spare for processing. I don't exactly understand OnTheNet's
> >distribution policy -- they're willing to part with the source (you can't
> >resell the library source or binaries, but anything you make is totally
> >unrestricted) but they won't put it up on an FTP site, you have to pay the
> >so-called "distribution fee."
> Can they do that? If it's based on GCC, presumably it falls under the GPL.
> Because of that, you should be able to do anything you please with the
> source once you get it, including reselling it or putting it up for ftp. It
> seems odd that somebody hasn't done this already.

Well, apparently I read the documentation wrong. Their runtime libraries
were built with gcc-2.2.1e, although I think the compiler itself is GCC
with a modified parser: here's what it spits out with `-v' switch:

| jewel:~/programs$ x2c -v say.prg
| Reading specs from /usr/local/lib/x2c/i386-linux/x2c-specs
| X2c version 1.20
| /usr/local/lib/x2c/i386-linux/x2c.xlt -ZI/usr/local/lib/x2c/include -r
|  -za -px2cstd.dbd -zk -zn -WN -zd -ze -TC -z7 -#x2c.h -Cx2c -fx2c -e+
|  say.prg say say
|  Function say          at #   0
| gcc -I /usr/local/lib/x2c/include -DHAS_ANY -c say.c -o say.o
|  /usr/local/lib/x2c/i386-linux/x2c.xeq /tmp/cca00846..c - say.o

Anyway, if there's anyone who'd like a real, commercially-tested
dBASE/Clipper/FoxBase compiler which outputs DJGPP code, then please write
to

  x2c AT on-the-net DOT com

and ask them to make available a DOS-hosted, DJGPP-based distribution (or,
release the source code so we can hack it ourselves  ;) I've tried writing
them but no response so far. Maybe if enough people ask for this, they
will consider doing it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Orlando Alcantara Andico
WWW:   http://www2.mozcom.com/~orly/         Email: orly AT mozcom DOT com
ICBM:  14 30 00 N  120 59 00 E               POTS:  (+632) 932-2385