Watcom C compiler

Infobox Software
name = Open Watcom



caption =
collapsible =
author = Watcom
Sybase
SciTech Software
developer = Open community
released = 2003-01-28
latest release version = 1.7a
latest release date = 2007-10-23
latest maintenance version =
latest maintenance date =
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
frequently updated =
programming language =
operating system = Cross-platform
platform =
size = 62 Mb
language =
status = Active
genre = Integrated development environment
license = [http://www.openwatcom.org/index.php/Open_Watcom_Public_License Sybase Open Watcom Public License version 1.0]
website = [http://www.openwatcom.org/ www.openwatcom.org] The Watcom C/C++ compiler is esteemed amongst DOS developers by the high execution speed of the compiled code it produces and for having been one of the first compilers to support the Intel 80386 "protected mode". In the mid-1990s, some of the most technically ambitious DOS games such as "Doom", "Descent" and "Duke Nukem 3D" were built using Watcom C. [ [http://openwatcom.com/index.php/History History - Open Watcom] ]

Though no longer sold commercially by Sybase, the Watcom C/C++ compiler and the Watch Fortran compiler have been made available as the 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, the compiler backend (code generator) is retargetable. The compiler can be operated from, and generate executable code for, the DOS, OS/2 and Windows operating systems. It also supports NLM targets for Novell NetWare. There is ongoing work to retarget it for the Linux [ [http://www.openwatcom.org/index.php/Installing_Open_Watcom_on_Linux Installing Open Watcom on Linux - Open Watcom ] ] and modern BSD (eg. FreeBSD) operating systems, running on x86, PowerPC and other processors. The Open Watcom C/C++ version 1.4 release on December 2005 has 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.Fact|date=February 2007 The current version 1.7a was released in October 2007.

Release history

The "Open Watcom Wiki" has a comprehensive history. [ [http://www.openwatcom.com/index.php/History Open Watcom Wiki] ]

Compatibility with other compilers

Open Watcom's syntax supports many conventions started 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 for another compiler will often compile with Watcom's, but there may be better/more efficient ways to do things.

References

External links

* [http://www.openwatcom.org/ Open Watcom web site]
*cite web|url=http://www.azillionmonkeys.com/qed/watfaq.shtml|author=Paul Hsieh.|title=The WATCOM C/C++ Programmer’s FAQ|date=Revision 4.12, 2008-05-08|accessdate=2008-10-07
*cite journal|author=Rick Grehan|title=Watcom C/C++ Gets a New Face|url=http://byte.com./art/9410/sec12/art5.htm|journal=BYTE|issue=October 1994|accessdate=2008-10-07