Signicant Trends in C, C++, and Fortran Development
1. MultiCore Computing -> Multithreaded Development
While many environments already run well on multicore systems (e.g. consolidation via virtualization, web/app server environments, etc.), there is a category of software development that needs to utilize all the horsepower these systems provide. These applications now need to go parallel, with multithreading as the primary mechanism.
2. Compatibility Issues
At many levels, compatibility pains exist in our industry. These include - developing for both Solaris and Linux platforms, lack of stable C++ ABI/runtime in other environments, and the ease in moving from lower quality development environments to higher quality. No one likes to do unnecessary rework.
3. The importance of a good IDE
While there is a healthy contingent that will only move to an IDE, from vim/emacs, when pried from their cold, dead hands, there is a growing segment of those that want to use a modern IDE. They have become accustomed to sophisticated IDEs when developing for other languages (e.g. Java, .NET), but they have found the choices on Solaris and Linux to be less than satisfactory.
4. Application performance and the need for speed (compile-time and runtime)
While not important to all, there is a significant base of developers where app performance is highly important. Whether it is monte carlo calculations for the finance sector, molecular simulations for biopharmaceuticals, or improving the weather forecast, certain environments have an unrelenting appetite for speed. These folks typically keep up with hardware advances and want to maximize its potential for their applications. In the compile-time C++ arena, many folks need their compiler to improve its effeciency in dealing with C++ templates.
Thoughts? Do these affect you or are there other factors that are impacting you more?
Posted at 04:29PM Jun 03, 2007 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]
Sun Studio Express December 2006 - Introducing the Next-Generation IDE
The Sun Studio team is pleased to announce the 3rd build in the Sun Studio Express Program- Sun Studio Express December 2006.
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/downloads/express.jsp
Under the guise of the Sun Studio Express Program, the product team makes preview builds of our up-coming release available to the community. The current build includes a new next-generation Integrated Development Environment (IDE) based on the latest version of NetBeans as well as updates to the Thread Analyzer (aka Data Race Detection Tool), Sun compilers for Linux, and more. For details, please visit:
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/downloads/express_readme.html
As a reminder, Sun offers a complete portfolio of offerings for C, C++, and Fortran developers:
1. Sun Studio 11 (Solaris and Linux)
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/
Sun Studio software includes parallelizing C, C++, and Fortran compilers, tools (IDE, multi-lingual/threaded/process debugger, performance analyzer, memory debugging(rtc),etc.), and optimized libraries. Sun Studio 11 for Linux includes these same tools but works with the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) instead of our record-setting compilers.
2. Sun Studio Express (Solaris and Linux)
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/downloads/express.jsp
Sun Studio Express offers preview builds, on a quarterly basis, of the next release of Sun Studio. The latest build highlights a new IDE, dynamic thread analysis (race conditions, etc.) as well as our optimizing Sun compilers for Linux.
3. NetBeans C/C++ Development Pack (Windows, Linux, Solaris)
http://www.netbeans.org/products/cplusplus/
NetBeans C/C++ Devlopement Pack, which has been designed for extensibility, has been tested with GCC and Sun Studio compilers (on Solaris/Linux). The pack provides base functionality for Sun Studio, which extends it to include advanced tools and features.
4. GCC for SPARC Systems (Solaris on SPARC)
http://cooltools.sunsource.net/gcc/
For those who are unable to immediately take advantage of Sun Studio, we offer an improved version of GCC for Solaris-based UltraSPARC systems.
5. Sun Developer Services
http://developers.sun.com/services/
From contract and incident support to Solaris developer training classes, Sun offers a comprehensive suite of services to enable developers to be more productive.
For most day-to-day developers on Solaris and Linux, Sun Studio will continue to be the offering we recommend that you look at first.
Enjoy!
Posted at 04:05AM Dec 20, 2006 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]
NetBeans C/C++ Development Pack 5.5 has been released!
Today is an exciting day as we have launched the NetBeans C/C++ Development Pack which extends the NetBeans platform to provide edit-compile-debug functionality for C/C++ developers on Windows, Linux, and Solaris. The pack, which has been tested with GNU and Sun Studio compilers as well as GDB, provides support for a variety of C/C++ project types and includes a makefile wizard to ease adoption. For a more productive developer experience, the pack includes sophisticated language model features, such as dynamic syntax highlighting, code completion, code folding, and a class viewer.
With over 25k downloads of the last beta in November alone, there is already great excitement around this new functionality. To download or get more more information, including docs and user email lists, please visit:
http://www.netbeans.org/products/cplusplus/
As part of our focus on software developers, this announcement continues the trend to fill out our portfolio of offerings for classic-language developers:
1. Sun Studio 11 (Solaris and Linux)
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/
Sun Studio software includes parallelizing C, C++, and Fortran compilers, tools (IDE, multi-lingual/threaded/process debugger, performance analyzer, memory debugging(rtc),etc.), and optimized libraries. Sun Studio 11 for Linux includes these same tools but works with the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) instead of our record-setting compilers.
2. Sun Studio Express (Solaris and Linux)
http://developers.sun.com/sunstudio/downloads/express.jsp
Sun Studio Express offers preview builds, on a quarterly basis, of the next release of Sun Studio. The latest build highlights dynamic thread analysis (race conditions, etc.) as well as our optimizing Sun compilers for Linux. A new release is around the corner which will offer the first peek at the revamped Sun Studio IDE, which is based on the NetBeans C/C++ Development Pack.
3. NetBeans C/C++ Development Pack (Windows, Linux, Solaris)
http://www.netbeans.org/products/cplusplus/
NetBeans C/C++ Devlopement Pack, which has been designed for extensibility, has been tested with GCC and Sun Studio compilers (on Solaris/Linux). The pack provides base functionality for Sun Studio, which extends it to include advanced tools and features. (this will show up in the next build of Sun Studio Express)
For most day-to-day C/C++/Fortran developers on Solaris and Linux, Sun Studio will continue to be the best environment to use. For those using GCC/GDB, Windows platform, doing Java and C/C++ development, or needing to extend an open source IDE, NetBeans, with the NB C/C++ Development Pack, will be attractive.
Enjoy!
Posted at 05:17AM Dec 07, 2006 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]
Sun Studio Express: Data Race Detection Tool (DRDT)
The current Sun Studio Express build (June 2006) contains a new Data Race Detection Tool (DRDT). If you are doing any parallel programming, data race conditions are particularly difficult problems to avoid without the right tools. Essentially, a race condition is a flaw in an application where the output exhibits unexpected critical dependence on the relative timing of events- thus producing different results at different times or runs. The venerable printf() unfortunately doesn't help much here, but if the compiler could produce the right information and could work intelligently with a tool to do the analysis, one could identify and then avoid these conditions!
Check out DRDT in Sun Studio Express and let us know what you think!
Posted at 10:47PM Jul 10, 2006 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]
Sun Studio Express: Open Door Development
One of recent developments that I'm excited about is the new Sun Studio Express program we just launched. I like to call it "open door" development. What does this mean? In an effort to widen the scope of dialogue, we are routinely making the engineering builds of the next version of Sun Studio available to our developer community. Check it out, give us feedback, and help drive what the next version of Sun Studio looks like.
Posted at 11:02AM Jul 10, 2006 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]
Introductions
Welcome!
I am the Product Manager for Sun Studio, Sun's record-setting optimizing C, C++, and Fortran compilers for Solaris and Linux.
Learn more about Sun Studio and check out what these fellas had to say about it.
Posted at 10:03PM Jul 03, 2006 by Kuldip Oberoi in Work | Comments[0]