The future is already here!

StormC 2.0

The progressive C/C++ development system for the Amiga's future.

This new and improved version of StormC has been enhanced in the areas of code optimization, source file management, and debugging. Organization and handling of projects have also been brought closer to perfection.

Hierarchical Projects

The intuitive project management pioneered by StormC has been extended with so-called Hierarchical Projects, allowing you to include multiple projects in a single "superproject". This feature can be used to combine projects for different processor types or alternative operating systems, letting you easily recompile all target versions even of a single program module. Another possible use is to automatically update any parts of the program that are being maintained as shared libraries.

Such projects can be created just as easily as before. Anything can be bundled into a project using drag-and-drop or through an ASL requester. Multiple selection is still supported, naturally.

External control through ARexx

Another highlight in the improved Project Manager is its ability to start external programs through ARexx while compiling. Interfacing to a resource control system or creating a Locale catalogue file is an easy task using this option. Invoking a preprocessor or compiler for another language, taking into account any dependencies between existing and generated files, is now also possible thanks to this feature.

GoldED 4 - The Professionals' Choice

Starting with version 2.0 of the StormC package, two editors are included with the compiler. Although StormED 2 got an overhaul, only few options have been added. Rather than extending StormED we decided to simply integrate GoldED, which has long established itself as the favourite text editor among professionals, into the StormC package. You will now have a free choice between StormED and GoldED.

The environment can cooperate with GoldED just as tightly as it already did with StormED, and all options of the environment are still available from the GoldED window.

One of the major features of our system is that sources can be debugged from the normal text editor instead of using a separate debugger window. This is also possible with GoldED: When the debugger is started, GoldED will show a breakpoints column directly to the left of the source text in the same window.

Persistent breakpoints

Many StormC users requested the possibility to have the breakpoints that were set in a previous debugging run reappear the next time that the debugger is started. This is no problem for GoldED. Saved breakpoints are preserved even when the source text is modified. This can be an invaluable help for larger projects with many source files.

Disassembler and CPU register display

Assembly-language output is essential for full inspection of the program produced by the compiler. For this reason the new debugger is able to show the program as an assembler listing as well as in C/C++ source code. This window will let you set breakpoints at any location in memory. This gives you full control over bug hunts in your code, or even in ROM!

Stack checking

A so-called backtrace can also be tremendously useful for finding bugs. This is made possible by the stack window's ability to document nested function calls.

Profiler

An absolute novelty is the newly-added code profiler. After developing a program, this tool is used to find the places in your code where most execution time is spent, and help you concentrate your optimization efforts on those places where they will do the most good. It does this by measuring the execution times of each function in the program while it is running.

The product of this procedure is a table, which may be sorted by your own criteria, containing each function's name, the number of times it has been called, and the time spent in those calls. This makes optimizations to your program directly visible and quantifiable.

All features of the debugger and profiler described above can be used without the need to change the program. The necessary extra information is written to separate debug files rather than added to the actual program binary.

The consequence for you is that there is no need to recompile your program after each debugging or profiling run just to get rid of the extra information in the executable. This will help prevent nasty surprises.

Press comments:

Version 1.1 was already given high marks by the press.

"... StormC is a good choice with an eye on the future as well!"

"... a full step ahead!" Winner in head-to-head comparison!

".. you cannot go wrong with the highly polished StormC!"

Rated overall: 92%

More press reviews

StormC for PowerPC

The market for Amiga software development is changing. In the not-too-distant future we will see software packages sporting instructions for use on PowerPC and under pOS. This is made possible by our ongoing development. As a forerunner in this field, we already have a fully functional compiler system for the PowerPC high-performance processor family.

The new code generator supports all RISC programming techniques such as automatic and intensive use of register variables, code scheduling (instructions in the program are automatically reordered to achieve optimal use of CPU resources), and peephole optimizations. The existing generic compiler optimizations such as dead-code elimination will of course remain available as well.

At this time HAAGE & PARTNER are working at top speed with the first PPC developer boards from PHASE 5 to ensure good PPC code quality.

The StormC linker for the PPC is available at the same time as the compiler. It allows programs to be linked as usual and even to mix Motorola 68k code with PPC code, thus greatly simplifying calls to PPC program functions and the exchange of data.

The Storm-debugger for the PPC will also be completed shortly. This will make HAAGE & PARTNER the first to offer an integrated development for PPC-accelerated Amigas.

StormC and StormWIZARD for pOS

Obviously a new PowerPC Amiga will also require a new operating system. What use are high processor speeds after all, if they are wasted on an old operating system bogged down by emulation overhead? With pOS, proDAD presents a new generation of system software that we consider the prime candidate for the next Amiga generation.

For this reason it is no more than logical that our development tools can be used to develop software for pOS. StormC is already being used intensively in the development of pOS itself; thus it goes without saying that it can also be used to compile programs that run under pOS.

The pOS version of StormWIZARD, which has also been completed, enables you to port your own software to this operating system with a minimum of effort. Your investments in Amiga software development are secure with the Storm line of development tools!

StormWIZARD 2.0

The new version has seen so much improvement that you would hardly recognize it. Our author Thomas Mittelsdorf has given it every effort to make StormWIZARD 2.0 a user-interface generator that leaves nothing to be desired.

First and foremost came the usability of the system itself. As the generator of a program's user interface, the tool should be an example for the development of other software. The new version tempts you to this task with asynchronous dialogues for each phase in the program's use.

All attributes, notifications, and links of each object being edited can be displayed in a window and are updated automatically when needed.

New BOOPSI classes

Text-field objects of more than one line have been added. These objects, as well as single-line string fields, are frequently used in database applications.

The group objects have been extended to let the attached objects be arranged into tables if desired.

Listviews may now contain not only texts of any height, but also any number of graphics and buttons.

External BOOPSI classes

A real showstopper is the ability to add new functionality to StormWIZARD by including your own BOOPSI classes.

Multiple uses

As mentioned above, your investment in StormWIZARD (not a very large outlay in the first place) is also secured. The user interfaces you create for the AmigaOS can be used directly under pOS with the new StormWizard library. That advantage will save you both time and money!

Pricing

StormC 598 DM / 398 US$

StormC Upgrade 398 DM / 265 US$ (upgrade from any commercial programming language)

StormC Starter 248 DM / 169 US$ (without debugger, code generation up to 030, some other restrictions)

StormC Starter Pack 298 DM / 198 US$ (StormC Starter plus StormWIZARD)

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