[Lazarus] Request for student project ideas

[Hans-Peter Diettrich]

Florian Klaempfl schrieb:

>>> So you want a hybrid pascal/C compiler? Or at which point do you want to
>>> do macro expansion and translation of the resulting C?
>> All that is done in the compiler front-end, AKA parser.
> 
> (preprocessing is never part of the parser, it's a separate compiler
> module or part of the, but this doesn't matter)

At least since C98 the preprocessor is part of the parser, due to macro 
expansion requirements.

> Just a simple example:
> 
> test.h:
> 
> #define POINTER(x) typedef T ## x* x
> POINTER(float)
> 
> test.pas:
> 
> unit test;
> 
> interface
> 
>   {$I test.h}

A bunch of syntax errors here, because the Pascal preprocessor and 
parser does not understand C syntax.

> 
>   POINTER(longint)

You missed the goal :-(

The C code is translated into separate ppu/o files, which can be added 
to the Uses clauses. Eventually a library unit or (package?) project can 
enumerate the types, constants, variables and functions of the C 
modules, which shall become available in other units. In the case of a 
library unit this unit can be added to the Uses of other Pascal units.

If you ever had used CBuilder, you would better understand how a 
compiler can compile modules of various languages, and create object 
files usable from all languages.

DoDi