Joachim Deelen, Software Engineering, Cologne
Joachim Deelen, Software Engineering, Cologne
Concerning OS/2, I'm currently working on three projects.
This is going to be a very big Project.
The first version will be a plug-in for some of the most famous OS/2 programmers editors: EPM and LPEX.
With Assist++ a complete new vision of programming will come true for OS/2 C/C++ developers. Most
of these are already reality for Java programmers using IDEs like Eclipse, Netbeans, IDEA, etc.
For at least 5 years now, I have been using Java as my prefered programming language. Using VisualAge
for Java, and now Eclipse as IDE. Then, about 1,5 years ago, I rediscoverd OS/2, OK actually it was
eComStation, and found, that in things regarding IDEs, OS/2 has not really evolved. There is no
Syntax-Assist, no Source-Level Class-Browser, no Refactoring, no easy navigation within Source-Code or
complex projects. If you've ever worked with a modern Java IDE, you know what I'm talking about and what
I'm missing here.
Assist++ will drastically change this situation.
During requirement-analysis for Assist++, I found that XML would be the right thing, to build the "Codebase"
with. A codebase will be needed, to realize all the things, I've mentioned in the section above. This led me
to my next Project: A C++ XML-Parser for OS/2.
During my time as a Java Programmer, I got used to the Xerces Java XML-Parser. So I decided to take Xerces
for my OS/2 development, also. Fortunately there already was an OS/2 Port of Xerces on the Apache Web-Site,
but it was way outdated. It was at level 1.4 and the current is 2.6. So I downloaded a newer Version, at that
moment 2.3 was current, and ported it to OS/2 and also build a version, that could be compiled with the
VisualAge 3.08 C++ Compiler. The Version at the Apache Site, was for compilation with VisualAge Version 4.0
only. I do have 4.0 but I don't like its highly integrated IDE. I like the Workframe of Version 3 much more.
If you have a need for the Xerces XML-Parser for your OS/2 project, you can get it
here.
Another problem I was facing, is the old VisualAge C++ compiler. I like the Workframe, but the compiler
doesn't understand most of the "new" ISO/Ansi standards, that have made it into the C++ Language, since
1997. Template support isn't well done and quite buggy. No bool, no RTTI, no new casting, etc. So I decided
to take another compiler. Fortunately OpenWatcom became open-source, supports OS/2 and most of the new
ISO/Ansi C++ features. But the IDE is horrible, at least in my eyes. I thought, that seamless integration
of the compiler into the Workframe, would be the best solution.
To accomplish that, I've written a new Options-Notebook (DLL). A new action will be added to the Tools-Setup,
where the new DLL will be given as the entry-point for specifying compiler options in context of the Project.
These options will then be used by MakeMake, Build, etc.
To get an impression, of how the new Options Notebook looks like, I've uploaded some screenshots.