April 2021 Update

10 Apr 2021

* Most language features save type extension and pointers handling implemented.

* A downloadable package for Windows, here, easy to run and try out Herschel features.

* The binder tool now capable of producing a DLL out of an OCF module (that is, one compiled Component Pascal module)

* Compiler capable of adhering to Microsoft calling convention (mark your procedures with [ms64] sysflag)

* Produced DLL (with some language features) tested successfully in Excel VBA environment

For further compiler development, an improved testing environment is necessary (at least desireable) that could link a tested module with a proto-kernel - a trivial run-time environment that provides the NEW procedure implementation. After some consideration, we have decided to continue building on the A2 testing environment. Now, a trivial linking module loader has been implemented that runs in A2/Linux64. With this, we will be working on type extension, dynamic variables and pointer handling.

As side effects:

* Further improvements in the OCF decoder, making decoded OCF modules easier to understand and proof-read.

* Feeling VERY uncomfortable with the A2 user experience, built a simple tool that enables A2 source editing in BlackBox (including use of all text attributes), compilation in A2’s Fox compiler, with error messages brought back into convenient BlackBox error markers.