The Portable Object Compiler is a project comprising Objective-C class libraries and a precompiler that produces translated code.
One of the most notable benefits of Portable Object Compiler is its ease of installation and modification. Additionally, the software works equally well on many systems, including Unix, Windows, Macintosh, Beos, OpenVMS, and more, all while utilizing the native cc, debugger, and profiler, among other tools.
Portable Object Compiler also offers a range of advanced capabilities, including the option for reference counted memory management (-refcnt), which uses the native malloc(), free(), and other tools while generating statements for tracking references.
Other key features of Portable Object Compiler include support for tracing Objective C messages, as well as straightforward "C" messenger, "inline cache" messenger, and forwarding C messenger options. With Portable Object Compiler, all classes receive a +initialize message at start-up, rather than each class receiving a +initialize before receiving its first message.
The software also boasts some support for translating Objective-C to Smalltalk, as well as an automatic archiver that generates code for saving and loading objects to and from disk. Additionally, Portable Object Compiler offers an option for garbage collection, an exception handling scheme using Objective-C Blocks, and support for dynamically loading Objective-C modules on various systems.
Portable Object Compiler is also equipped with a switch for double indirection for object identifiers, which results in id being used as a handle instead of a pointer. The software also supports forwarding messages and offers support for embedded SQL in Objective-C (currently limited to Informix).
To use Portable Object Compiler, users will need to obtain a copy of 'gcc' or use the C compiler 'cc' of their specific system, compile flex-2.5.4 if not already installed, and compile BSD byacc 1.9.1 (and install as 'byacc', though bison is an alternative), among other requirements outlined in the software's installation instructions.
Overall, Portable Object Compiler offers a range of advanced capabilities for those seeking a seamless, powerful development experience with Objective-C class libraries and code generation.
Version 0.2.2: N/A