Re: [open-cobol-list] My getting started document

[Bill Klein]

Does the -mwindows option apply to when you do an OC compile (for
Accept/Display" stuff or to how you start Cygwin or where? 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Essex [mailto:address@hidden 
> Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 12:38 PM
> To: open-cobol-list
> Subject: Re: [open-cobol-list] My getting started document
> 
> I know that it is NOT what your article is saying, but human nature 
> being what it is, users will likely misinterpret as Cygw*n being a 
> requirement for OC.
> 
> There really is no such thing as a "official" way.
> Just about any UN*X application will compile and run on Cygw*n with 
> minimal changes.
> So it is convenience not to support a Wind*ws native port.
> This is NOT a criticism, as most native ports do require a dedicated 
> developer.
> 
> As for the 'unofficial' way, perhaps you should try using 
> MinGW and MSYS 
> (Minimal SYStem providing a POSIX compatible Bourne shell 
> environment).
> I think you would find is not much different, than Cygw*n, 
> and in some 
> ways preferable. Certainly no more difficult for a "newbie".  I think 
> perhaps less difficult.
> 
> Something you may wish to consider adding to your article.
> In Wind*ws  there are console and winapi applications. The 
> default for 
> OC is console. If you add a '-mwindows' option to the command 
> line, GCC 
> will automatically create a winapi application.
> 
> 
> Bill Klein wrote:
> > David, (et al)
> >  The latest version of my document (dated March 2, 2009) and not yet
> > generally posted includes the following paragraph - that I 
> *think* addresses
> > your issue:
> > 
> > "NOTE: Within the OpenCOBOL forum, there are a number of 
> threads concerning
> > installing OpenCOBOL as "native" in Windows.  They seem to 
> report varying
> > degrees of success (and ease of installation). This 
> document does NOT
> > address that approach.  Although it may (eventually) be the 
> best way to go
> > for existing Windows-only users, it seems to me that most 
> of the help and
> > information for OpenCOBOL assumes a Linux or UNIX environment.  This
> > document gets you going in such an environment (Cygwin) and 
> I recommend it
> > for the "new" OpenCOBOL user.  However, as usual "your 
> mileage may vary"! If
> > you want to go with a native Windows OpenCOBOL environment, 
> check out the
> > OpenCOBOL forum for hints and tips on installation and use."
> > 
> > Certainly, if someone has the "energy" (and endurance" to 
> provide comparable
> > information for the other approaches, I would be happy to 
> reference such.
> > However, given the number of problems I experienced trying to do the
> > "official" way, I think that I would NOT suggest a "newbie" try an
> > unofficial way.  As noted in the document, I also don't 
> address any of the
> > "real user" (after initial getting started) issues such as 
> configuring for
> > MF or IBM conversions or tuning for production work.
> > 
> > I may get around to doing some of this (eventually).  These 
> certainly ARE
> > real topics of interest. However, they are simply beyond my initial
> > document.
> 
> 
> 
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