Sun Microsystems Inc claims that new enhancements to its language compilers – now dubbed Sparcompilers – has upped the run-time performance of its Sparc-based systems by around 5%, and performance of Fortran applications by up to 15%. The set comprises C, C++, Pascal, Fortran and Modula-2. Tweaking compiler software for increased performance is particularly appropriate for RISC machines as there are fewer instructions built into the hardware, so more can be achieved by improving the software. Sun has also unveiled its first C compiler that will be sold separately from SunOS, and although the compiler will continue to be bundled with the operating system, future enhancements will be made to the unbundled version only. Both Sun C and Sun Fortran have a new window-based search tool called Sun SourceBrowser – enabling developers to perform global searches for specific program components – a new edition of the dbx debugger and an enhanced dbxtool window-based debugger. As the compilers have been designed primarily around the Sparc chip set – but will nevertheless run on any Sun system – programs written in one language can access the libraries of other languages as well as the libraries of SunOS and OpenWindows. Sun plans to have a new release of the compilers every nine months, and each Sparcompiler is now available separately for SunOS 4.0 and 4.1. Single user licences for Sun C, C++, Fortran and Pascal are UKP1,800 – $2,000 in the US, Modula-2 is UKP1,950, $2,200, and the prices do not include technical support or upgrades.
