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Watcom C/C++ compiler

Open Watcom
Watcom logo.png
Original author(s)Watcom
Sybase
SciTech Software
Developer(s)Open community
Initial releaseJanuary 8, 2003; 10 years ago (2003-01-08)
Stable release1.9 / June 2, 2010; 2 years ago (2010-06-02)
Development statusActive
Operating systemCross-platform
Size73.8 Mb
TypeIntegrated development environment
LicenseSybase Open Watcom Public License version 1.0
Websitewww.openwatcom.org

The Watcom C/C++ compiler is a compiler for the computer programming languages C and C++ that produces executable programs for several platforms and operating systems. In the mid-1990s some of the most technically ambitious MS-DOS computer games such as Doom,[1] Descent,[1] Duke Nukem 3D,[1] and Rise of the Triad[2] were built using Watcom C/C++, some such as ROTT using the DOS/4GW protected mode extender with the Watcom compiler.

Though no longer sold commercially by Sybase, the Watcom C/C++ compiler and the Watcom Fortran compiler have been made available as a gratis and questionably open source Open Watcom package with the assistance of SciTech Software. The code is portable and, like many other open source compiler projects such as GCC or LCC the compiler backend (code generator) is retargetable. The compiler can be operated from, and generate executable code for, the DOS, OS/2, Linux and Windows operating systems. It also supports NLM targets for Novell NetWare. There is ongoing work to extend the targeting to Linux[3] and modern BSD (e.g., FreeBSD) operating systems, running on x86, PowerPC and other processors. The Open Watcom C/C++ version 1.4 release on December 2005 introduced Linux x86 as an experimental target, supported from NT or OS/2 host platforms. There is code for an abandoned QNX version, but libraries necessary for it to be compiled could not be released as open source.[citation needed] Stable version 1.9 was released in June 2010.[4]

Contents

Release history

The Open Watcom Wiki has a comprehensive history.[1]

DateProductNotes
1984Waterloo C for S/370 
1985 Work on current code generator codebase started
1988Watcom C 6.0
  • DOS host and target only
  • Included a debugger and full set of runtime libraries
  • Generated better code than other compilers at the time
  • Watcom C Version 6.5 contained Graphics Library similar to Microsoft Graphics Library
1989Watcom C 7.0 
1989Watcom C 7.0/386
  • First 32-bit version, DOS host and target only
  • Supported Phar Lap DOS extender
  • Did not come with a linker or debugger
1990Watcom C 8.0 
1990Watcom C 8.0/386
1991Watcom C 8.5 
1991Watcom C 8.5/386
1992Watcom C 9.0 
1992Watcom C 9.0/386
  • OS/2 2.0 host and target support
  • 486 optimizations
  • Based pointer support
 Watcom C 9.01/386
  • Windows 3.1 support
1993Watcom C/C++ 9.5 
1993Watcom C/C++ 9.5/386
  • C++ compiler added
  • Pentium optimizations
  • Windows NT host and target support
1994Watcom C/C++ 10.0
  • MFC included
  • Precompiled header support
  • 16-bit and 32-bit tools merged into single package
  • Redesigned debugger
  • C++ class browser added
  • Windows resource editors added
  • Graphical IDE for Windows and OS/2
1995Watcom C/C++ 10.5
1996Watcom C/C++ 10.6
  • Structured exception handling in C
  • Improved compatibility with Microsoft compilers
1997Watcom C/C++ 11.0
  • Namespace, RTTI, and new style cast support in C++ compiler
  • 64-bit integer support
  • Multi-byte character support in libraries
  • Incremental linking support
  • COFF and ELF object file support in linker and librarian
  • Microsoft clone tools added
  • DLL based tools for better IDE integration
1998Watcom C/C++ 11.0B 
1999 Sybase issues end-of-life notice for Watcom C/C++ 11.0
2000 Sybase announces open sourcing of Watcom tools
2001-09-27Watcom C/C++ 11.0c Beta 
2002-12-21Watcom C/C++ 11.0c 
2003-01-28Open Watcom 1.0 
2003-08-12Open Watcom 1.1 
2004-01-07Open Watcom 1.2 
2004-08-03Open Watcom 1.3 
2005-12-14Open Watcom 1.4 
2006-04-26Open Watcom 1.5 
2006-12-15Open Watcom 1.6 
2007-08-18Open Watcom 1.7 
2007-10-23Open Watcom 1.7a 
2009-02-21Open Watcom 1.8 
2010-06-02Open Watcom 1.9 

Compatibility with other compilers

Open Watcom's syntax supports many conventions introduced by other compilers, such as Microsoft's and Borland's, including differing conventions regarding (for instance) the number of leading underscores on the "asm" tag. Code written specifically for another compiler rather than standard-compliant C or C++ will often compile with the Watcom compiler.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d History - Open Watcom. OpenWatcom.com wiki.
  2. ^ [1] "RotT was written in Watcom C++ v10.0 with the Rational Systems DOS/4GW extender."
  3. ^ Installing Open Watcom on Linux - Open Watcom. OpenWatcom.org wiki.
  4. ^ "Latest Release (June 2010) - Open Watcom". OpenWatcom.org wiki. http://www.openwatcom.org/index.php/M ain_Page#Latest_Release_.28June_2010. 29.

External links

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