Motorola Inc’s RISC Software operation unveiled a set of compiler tools at the MacWorld show that it claims brings an unprecedented level of optimisation to Macintosh developers. The company said the tools will improve both compile times and execution speeds for the resultant compiled code, but no comparisons between old and new versions were available as we went to press. The new versions are not due to ship until early next quarter. The improvements to the C/C++ and Fortran software development kits come in two forms – enhancement of the core compilers and a bundling of Kuck & Associates Inc’s KAP tools. KAP, Kuck & Associates’ Preprocessor, gives users a listing file identifying where code can be modified to increase per-formance. In particular it uses optimisations that reduce traffic between main memory and cache, and between cache and processor. Other enhancements include updated support for Apple Computer Inc’s MPW; C++ language extensions; support for pre-compiled headers; increased access to built-in intrinsics for low-level PowerPC instructions; and preliminary support for basic-block level profiling of application code. The updated package will go for an initial list tag of $350. Registered users get the update free of charge. Motorola’s agreement with Kuck & Associates encompasses bundling KAP with its Unix and Windows NT compilers too, but there is no exact information on just when that will happen. Sources suggest the company is still working to get an updated version of Motorola’s NT compilers out late this year.
