1 This directory contains the sources of the Free Pascal Compiler
3 To recompile the compiler, use the batch file
6 If you want to build a m68k version to cross compile from i386 to m68k
10 If you want to compile/modify the compiler, please read first the
14 Changes in the syntax or semantic of FPC:
15 -----------------------------------------
16 28/01/99 implicit conversion from boolean to integer is not possible
17 anymore (solved several bugs) but this could lead to errors
18 on previously accepted code (PM)
19 01/02/99 c styled comments are supported (/* ... */), mainly
20 for the Sibyl sources of Medigo (FK)
21 02/02/99 class destructors take now two parameters: flag
22 if the helper routine should free the instance and
24 22/02/99 PROTECTED and PRIVATE have now the same behavior
26 09/03/99 small records and arrays passed by value to a function are now directly copied
27 into a 4 bytes parameter (needed for C and DLL calls) (PM)
28 11/03/99 the makefile.fpc is now also needed for the compiler and RTL, you can
29 find it in the base.zip package (PFV)
30 24/03/99 new directives UNITPATH,INCLUDEPATH,OBJECTPATH,LIBRARYPATH to
31 set the searchpaths where to find the files for that module (PFV)
32 25/03/99 new directive STATIC +/- or on/off , works like -St commandline
34 02/04/99 rtl/cfg/ directory has been removed, it's not used anymore
35 15/04/99 FINALIZATION is supported
36 21/04/99 Default assembler for i386 changed to AT&T instead of direct
37 25/04/99 initialized vars supported in Delphi mode (only $J+ mode)
38 getting the address of an untyped const is now
40 27/04/99 New unit format PPU016, you need to recompile all older units
41 01/05/99 Internal assembler. Assembler readers now support MMX,KNI
43 12/05/99 rtl/utils/ directory moved to utils/. Moved the utils only needed
44 for compiler development to compiler/utils/
45 13/05/99 Classes are now only allowed in the ObjFpc or Delphi mode. Use
46 {$mode objfpc} or {$mode delphi}. Or from commandline -S2 or -Sd
47 16/05/99 Remove options -Up (use now -Fu) and -Fg (use now -Fl)
48 17/05/99 Redesign of ansistring temporary handling, please report
50 17/05/99 Most stuff of the objpas unit is now in the system unit
51 because the new temporary ansistring handling support
52 exceptions and exceptions need the class OOP model
53 18/05/99 The compiler will stop directly if there are errors in the
54 commandline parameters
55 16/08/99 DLL are relocatable by default (need to strip symbols)
56 -WN make non relocatable DLL (which can retain debug info)
57 for both type of DLL the prefered image base can be specified
58 with -WB1100000 for instance to get image base at $11000000.
59 08/09/99 pointer addition/substraction (only available in fpc,objfpc mode)
60 now uses the size of the type the pointer points to, just like
61 inc(),dec() already did. Now inc(p) is the same as p:=p+1.
62 But old code can be broken by this when there is a p:=p+4 then
63 it's now parsed like: p:=p+4*sizeof(type). To get the old situation
64 you can use typecasting: p:=ptype(pointer(p)+4).
65 08/09/99 class/object field return their offsets in the object/class. You
66 must access them self with loading the object/class pointer and
67 then create a reference where you add the field
68 07/11/99 Small change to property writing in PPU => all units
69 exporting classes with properties must be recompiled
70 (no new unit format, so be careful) (FK)
71 08/11/99 PP variable in Makefiles changed to FPC
72 14/11/99 makefile.fpc is not available anymore. You must now use fpcmake
73 which is available from the utils/. There is also an example
75 15/02/00 The support of the fixed data type has been removed from the
78 2. it is very seldom used
79 3. the single data type is faster on modern cpus (Pentium+)
81 If still want to use it, you have to recompile the compiler
82 with -dSUPPORT_FIXED and recompile the rtl with that compiler.
83 To find out if the used compiler supports the fixed data
84 type, check the directive HASFIXED (FK)
85 29/02/00 ORDERSOURCES released => PPU version change
86 this allows for a more correct include file hunting order.
87 01/04/00 fix the handling of value parameters in cdecl function
88 11/05/00 changed vmt handling to fix problems some problems
89 with overloading in objects