Return-Receipt-To: SATMDS AT ITU DOT pcmail DOT levels DOT unisa DOT edu DOT au
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 13:36:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: Martin Schumacher <SATMDS AT ITU DOT pcmail DOT levels DOT unisa DOT edu DOT au>
To: DJ Delorie - C Compiler <djgpp AT sun DOT soe DOT clarkson DOT edu>
Encoding: 45 TEXT


Dear DJ,

I have recently acquired the source code for a  PC COBOL compiler (COBOLxxx) 
written by a guy called Robert Noweck from Georgia. (available on ftp sites 
as COBOL650.zip, COBOL701.zip etc) He recently died, and the source code 
(forwarded to me as IDE702SC.zip) was kept by a bulletin board keeper Bill 
Tullis of BBS AV-SYNC (he was NOT a programmer) and the offer was given by 
Robert before he died for someone to pick up developing the compiler where 
he left off. The keeper forwarded the source code to me (IDE702SC.zip), but 
I suspect that not all of it has come.
The compiler part "C" code is 7000 lines long, the assembly part is 1200 
lines long, but there seems to be no source code for the other *.lib, *.ovr, 
*.exe files that the linker needs to create executable files from the Object 
files created when compiling a  COBOL source file.

Contents of IDE702SC.zip
IDE702_A C      183296 05-09-91   2:46a
IDE702_B PAS    190278 10-06-95  10:14a
IDE702_C ASM     35259 05-24-91   3:08a

The *.pas file is the pascal code for the COBOL source code editor program. 
It is too large for TurboPas ver 4.00, so I will have to break it down into 
units. (Yuk).
I would like to take on the job of future developments of this compiler on 
my 286 at home, but I need a "C" compiler. I heard about your DJGPP compiler 
package. and downloaded  BNU252BN.zip which seemed to be what I want.  I was 
disappointed when I read the Readme.1st when it stated that it was not 
suitable for a 286.

I would like a shareware C compiler that would be able to compile the 
COBOL.c code on a 286. Maybe an earlier version of DJGPP.  Can you suggest 
one, or am I being unreasonable to stick with a 286?

Anyway, there are some *.LIB and *.OVR files with the COBOL701.zip file, but 
NO source code for them. Do you know what they could be, and how to 
"unassemble" them to find out "what's inside". I presume OVR means "Overlay 
files".

I would like to learn more too about all this stuff, so suggestions on books 
that explain *.lib & *.ovl or *.ovr files would be great.

If you can help me with these things I would very much appreciate it.

martin