The T3X Language Family

        T 1
  (just an idea...)
         |
         |
        T 2
(C version, 386, 8086)
         |
         |
        T 3 --------- T3r0
         |      (386, 8086, symbolic)
         |              |
         |            T3r2 ---------------+---- T3M
         |      (386, 8086, symbolic)     |     (6502)
         |              |                 |
         |            T3r3                |
         |      (386, 8086, symbolic)     +---- T3X
         |                                 (Tcode, 386, 8086,
         |                                  synthesizing CG,
         |                                  Tcode machine)
         |                                        |
         |                                      T3Xr2
         |                                  (Bootstrapping
         |                                   via Tcode)
        T 4 ---- T4r0                             |
             (386, 8086,                        T3Xr4
            synthesizing CG,             (Tcode, 386, 8086,
            modules, serapate             TXCG, TXOPT, include
              compilation)                files via TXPP)
                                                  |
                                                T3Xr5
                                         (Tcode5, 386, 8086,
                                          TXCG, TXOPT, TXPP,
                                          debugger support)
                                                  |
                                                T3Xr6
                                         (Tcode5, 386, new
                                          RT system, object
                                          system)
                                                  |
                                                T3Xr7
                                         (Tcode7, 386, 8086,
                                          Alpha, interface
                                          classes)
                                                  |
                   +------------------------------+
                   |                              |
                T3Xr7.3                         T3Xr8
           (Tcode7, 386, 8086,           (Tcode8, 386, 8086,
            Alpha, C backend,             Alpha, C backend,
            TIDE classes + IDE)           32-bit VM)


        T3X9
         |
    (FreeBSD/386  
     simplified)
	 |
       T3X9r2 -------+------- XT3X
    (FreeBSD/386     |     (bitmap graphics
     Tcode9,         |      sound, Tcode only)
     32-bit)         |
         |           +------- T3X/Z
         |           |     (CP/M, Z80)
         |           |
         |           +------- T3X/86
         |                 (DOS, 8086)
	 |
	 |
       T3X9r4 --------------- T3X/0
    (FreeBSD/386           (New module system,
     Tcode9,                Tcode/0, CP/M-Z80,
     32-bit)                DOS-8086, Unix-386,
                            cross-compilers)

T 1 (1995)

• different syntax
• multiple modules per file
• no classes
• default argument values
• record type
• procedure pointers instead of forward declarations
• main program between modules
• never fully implemented

T 2 (1995)

• T3X syntax
• no modules, no classes
• main program in compound statement at end of file
• record/struct type dropped
• default argument values dropped
• unsigned integer arithmetic
• compiled to 386 machine code via GAS, used system LIBC
• compiled to DOS/EXE via TASM
• boostrapping compiler in C
• compiler driven by shell script or batch file

T 3 (1997)

• same language as T2
• Tcode and DOS/COM backends
• Tcode only used as a glue language for the SYMCOM backend
• TASM no longer needed on DOS

T 4 (1997)

• modules (MODULE), multiple modules per file
• public procedures and data objects
• record type (STRUCT)
• byte access operator (::)
• constant expressions
• signed integer arithmetic
• main program can depend on modules
• compiler written in T3
• synthesizing code generators for 386 and 8086
• did not self-compile

T3r2 (1997)

• supported for BSS segments in order to generate smaller executables

T3X (1997)

• pretty much the language that T3X is today
• runtime procedures still intrinsic
• INTERFACE statements link to routines not written in T3X
• signed and unsigned integer arithmetic
• hexa-decimal numeric literals
• 386/a.out, DOS/EXE, and Tcode backends
• Tcode interpreter (although not used for bootstrapping)
• T3X−>C source-to-source compiler used for bootstrapping
• synthesizing backend adopted from T4
• Ports: DOS, FreeBSD, Plan 9

T3M (1997)

• experimental port of T3R2 to 6502
• generated absolute binaries
• unfinished

T3r3 (1998)

• signed integer arithmetic adopted from T3X

T3Xr2 (1999)

• Tcode used for bootstrapping the compiler

T3Xr4 (1999)

• vector graphics extension
• portable text mode/terminal I/O extension (would later become TTYCtl class)
• TXPP preprocessor
• retargetable code generator (TXCG)
• runtime support via INTERFACE statements, imported by TXPP

T3Xr5 (1999)

• S86 assembler for writing extension procedures for DOS
• Ports: C/GAS, Turbo C/TASM, S86
• A.out and ELF backends for FreeBSD
• SD viewer for online documentation (would later become TXHELP)
• SD documentation file format

T3Xr6 (1999-2002)

• T3X object system (CLASS, OBJECT statements)
• formal (operational) semantics
• modules adopted from T4 (MODULE statement)
• one module per file
• runtime procedures imported via classes (EXTERN DECL)
• INTERFACE statements deprecated
• separate compilation of modules
• dead procedure filter (TXDPF)
• new classes: char, IOstream, memory, string, system, TTYCtl
• compiler driver in T3X
• Linux/386 and Coherent/386 ports
• stand-alone DOS/EXE backend
• Plan 9 support dropped

T3Xr7 (2002-2003)

• interface classes (ICLASS, IDECL declarations)
• runtime procedures imported from ICLASSes
• new retargetable code generator (TXNCG)
• AXP 21064 (Alpha) backend
• NetBSD/386 and Alpha ports
• C backend removed
• Graphics extension removed
• T3Xtools added (classes for writing TTY applications)
• TIDE (T3X IDE)

Lightweight Compiler Techniques (2002)

A revised and extended edition of the original T3X book. Describing the T3X language and the techniques used to implement the synthesizing code generator (TXCG).

T3Xr8 (2004)

• 32-bit Tcode support
• new C backend based on TXNCG
• Plan 9 support (again)
• Coherent port broken
• bytecode ports for machines without native code support

Bytecode ports kept T3X (somewhat) alive in the subsequent hiatus.

T3X9 (2017)

• even more minimal T3X subset
• written from scratch
• documented in the book Write Your Own Compiler
• no modules, classes, or objects
• all runtime procedures intrinsic
• no unsigned arithmetic operators
• single-pass, in-memory compiler
• more than 30,000 lines per second on a 750MHz processor
• compiles directly from T3X9 to ELF (FreeBSD/386)

T3X9r2 (2017)

• hexa-decimal integer literals
• additional runtime procedures
• Tcode9 backend and virtual machine

XT3X (2018)

• intrinsic procedures for 16-color 320x200-pixel graphics
• intrinsic procedures for sound output via OSS or ALSA
• Tcode backend only
• intended for writing simple video games

T3X 7.3 and later (2019)

• ports: Coherent, DOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Linux, Generic Unix, Bytecode
• targets: 8086/EXE, 386/ELF/a.out/COFF, Alpha/ELF, Tcode machine
• C backend imported from T3Xr8
• TIDE and TIDE classes (formerly T3Xtools) integrated
• improved class management and separate compilation
• The "ultimate" 16-bit T3X release

T3X/Z (2019)

• another T3X subset
• more compatible to T3X than T3X9
• generates COM files for CP/M (and CP/NC)
• single-stage, two-pass compiler (processes source code twice)
• fits in 44KB of memory
• self-compiles in six minutes under CP/NC
• runtime procedures intrinsic
• no external runtime library

T3X/86 (2021)

• another T3X subset
• more compatible to T3X than T3X9
• generates COM files for {PC,MS,DR,etc}-DOS
• includes an 8086 assembler (in T3X)
• single-stage, two-pass compiler (processes source code twice)
• single DOS COM file
• runtime procedures intrinsic
• no external runtime library

T3X9r4 (2022)

• Minor bug fixes and cosmetics
• Basis for T3X/0

T3X/0 (2022)

• T3X9 plus modules and unsigned operators
• Flat module hierarchy (modules cannot use modules)
• Improved packed vector syntax
• inline procedures (coded as raw machine code)
• external procedures, so library can be extended with C, etc
• Formal semantics (work in progress)
• Many T3Xr7 libraries included (strings, chars, dynamic memory, etc)
• Ports: Tcode Machine, Unix-386, DOS-8086 (COM), CP/M-Z80
• 14 cross-compilers for almost all combinations of supported platforms
• Sweet spot between T3Xr7 and T3X9

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