-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUN ENHANCES COMPILERS New SPARCompiler Optimization Technology Boosts Hardware Performance SunFLASH Vol 16 #13 April 1990 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. --April 18, 1989-- Sun Microsystems has enhanced its family of programming language compilers, significantly improving the run-time performance of Sun's SPARC(TM)-based family of workstations and servers. Sun's compilers already are among the most robust in the industry, meaning they generate correct code. There are more than 1,850 SPARCware applications available from Sun Catalyst vendors developed using Sun compilers. Now called SPARCompilers(TM), Sun's language products are available for all Sun platforms. They utilize new optimization technology that improves the performance of SPARC systems -- without changes to hardware -- by up to five percent according to the most recent industry benchmarks published by the Systems Performance Evaluation Cooperative (SPEC). In the case of many FORTRAN applications, performance can be boosted 15 percent or more. Besides improved performance, SPARCompilers have been enhanced by new language features, ease-of-use improvements and expanded user documentation. SPARCompiler products are available today for the most recent versions of Sun FORTRAN, Pascal, Modula-2 and C++. Sun Offers New Unbundled C Compiler In addition, Sun introduced a new product, Sun C 1.0 -- its first C compiler sold separately from SunOS(TM), Sun's UNIX(R) operating system. By unbundling the compiler, Sun can provide more frequent updates and enhancements independent of operating system releases. A version of the C compiler will continue to be bundled and supported with SunOS, but feature enhancements will be made to the unbundled version only. Improved Tools Sun C and Sun FORTRAN now include the Sun SourceBrowser, a new window-based search tool. It allows a developer to globally search and locate all occurrences of specific program components through a query or a mouse interface. All SPARCompilers will benefit from an improved version of the dbx debugger, greatly enhanced by the window-based debugging tool, dbxtool. New documentation will also improve the SPARCompiler products. A Numerical Computations Guide and updated dbx/dbxtool manual are now included. SPARCompilers Superior For SPARC Architecture SPARCompilers offer several benefits over other language products. They conform to most of the commonly accepted domestic and international standards. They are proven products, with a long track record of successfully compiling thousands of sophisticated user applications. In fact, SPARCompilers were the only language products to correctly compile the SPEC benchmarks the first time, unlike compilers from MIPS, Hewlett-Packard and IBM. And although they run on all Sun systems, SPARCompilers were designed in concert with the SPARC architecture and hardware implementations, to take full advantage of SPARC. SPARCompilers share many common characteristics and components, such as code generation, SPARC optimization and libraries, that enable them to work well together and give developers a common toolset and development environment. In addition, all Sun languages interact efficiently through common object formats and interlanguage calling capability. Thus programs written in one language can access the libraries of other languages as well as the libraries of Sun system components such as SunOS, OpenWindows(TM) and graphics. SPARCompilers are all fully integrated with the Network Software Environment (NSE(TM)), Sun's distributed software development environment supporting version control, configuration management and parallel development. Compiler Support Sun offers full customer support, training programs and extensive user documentation for its SPARCompilers. The company plans new releases of its SPARCompilers approximately every nine months to provide increased performance and new features. Each SPARCompiler is sold separately and all are available immediately for both SunOS 4.0 and 4.1. Sun C, C++, FORTRAN and Pascal are priced at U.S. $2,000 quantity one and Modula-2 at U.S. $2,200 quantity one. All prices include media and documentation. Volume and academic discounts are available. Sun Microsystems, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., is a leading worldwide supplier of network-based distributed computing systems, including professional workstations, servers and UNIX operating system and productivity software. ### SPARCompilers, SunOS, OpenWindows, SPARC and NSE are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. All other products or services mentioned in this document are identified by the trademarks or service marks of their respective companies or organizations. For reader inquiries, telephone 1-800-821-4643 outside California. Inside California, call 1-800-821-4642. Press Contact: Erica Vener (415) 336-3566 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sunflash is an electronic mail news service from Sun Microsystems, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Please address comments to John McLaughlin (sun!sunvice!johnj or johnj@sunvice.East.Sun.COM). (305) 776-7770.