Free Pascal compiles to...

[cpicanco]

So, I have what seems to be a simple question. Does Free Pascal compiler compiles to assembly and then to binary or something else occurs in between? Does Free Pascal compiler compiles to anything else?

[Phil]

So, I have what seems to be a simple question. Does Free Pascal compiler compiles to assembly and then to binary or something else occurs in between? Does Free Pascal compiler compiles to anything else?

Use the -a switch with the compiler to see the assembler file it generates.

FPC's jvm compiler generates Java byte code.

A converter, not a compiler, is in the works for converting Pascal to JavaScript. A bit more info here:

https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,37840.0.html

[cpicanco]

Thanks Phil!

[cpicanco]

@Phil, I am writing a short review about Free Pascal and would like to mention your work. Please, how should I cite the work?

[cpicanco]

Heiss, P. (2017). Pascal to JavaScript: A Report. Retrieved from: https://macpgmr.github.io/MacXPlatform/PascalToJavaScript_AReport.html

Does it looks goods to you? Another link maybe?

[Phil]

Thanks Phil!

The FPC wiki is the place to start for the JVM compiler, although it's now a standard compiler (or at least it is on Mac: ppcjvm).

http://wiki.freepascal.org/FPC_JVM

Here's something I wrote up several years ago:

https://macpgmr.github.io/pba/PbaStatus.html

I don't think very many developers have ever used the FPC JVM compiler, probably because you have to use the Java and Android runtime. No FPC SysUtils, Classes, LCL units, or anything like that is available for it.

I would guess that at least initially the Pascal to JS converter would have the same issue: Use the runtime features built in to every Web browser (DOM, HTML, JS built-in objects, etc.)? Or try to put together something that provides FPC RTL-like units, at the expense of bulking up the Web app client download?

[Phil]

Heiss, P. (2017). Pascal to JavaScript: A Report. Retrieved from: https://macpgmr.github.io/MacXPlatform/PascalToJavaScript_AReport.html

Does it looks goods to you? Another link maybe?

Maybe spell my last name correctly.

I suppose the citation is okay, but I wonder if it's already out-of-date since I posted the new stuff today?

[cpicanco]

Sorry about that  :

Hess, P. (2017). Pascal to JavaScript: A Report. Retrieved from: https://macpgmr.github.io/MacXPlatform/PascalToJavaScript_AReport.html

I don't think very many developers have ever used the FPC JVM compiler, probably because you have to use the Java and Android runtime. No FPC SysUtils, Classes, LCL units, or anything like that is available for it.

I am aware of those practical difficulties. I am interest in the fact that, despite those difficults, people insist in explore and extend pascal limits.

[Phil]

I am aware of those practical difficulties. I am interest about the fact that, despite those difficults, people insist in explore and extend pascal limits.

You can also use FPC with Xcode on Mac:

https://macpgmr.github.io/ObjP/ProjectXC.html

[cpicanco]

So, may I ask if you have a higher motivation behind this exploratory work?

[Phil]

So, may I ask if you have a higher motivation behind this exploratory work?

Not really, other than maybe just seeing where FPC and Lazarus can go. There's a lot of uncertainty in tech and in software development, but if there's one thing I am certain of, it's that the desktop software development era is behind us - it's over, gone, stick a fork in it done, it's dead Jim.

[cpicanco]

Hopefully some smart guy will bring desktop runtime enviroments to mobile in the near future.

[cpicanco]

But hey, gaming and AR will not die hard, I guess. There is a place for fpc and lazarus in there.

[Phil]

But hey, gaming and AR will not die hard, I guess. There is a place for fpc and lazarus in there.

Well, technically, you could use ARKit with FPC's objectivec1 modeswitch today (and Xcode), but you would have to parse the ARKit framework's headers yourself and set up everything yourself. Or you could just use Xcode and Swift out of the box.

https://developer.apple.com/arkit/

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/arkit

[Phil]

Hopefully some smart guy will bring desktop runtime enviroments to mobile in the near future.

Not sure what you mean. If anything, that's what you don't want. You want a mobile runtime env, not a desktop one.