Technical notes for PolyXarc

        I originally compiled PolyXarc with Microsoft C 5.1 because  it's 
        the compiler I normally use. Then I ran some tests with  PolyXarc 
        and  RMAP.  RMAP is a program that reports memory  usage  in  the 
        system,  including the remaining memory. RMAP was reporting  that 
        PolyXarc used up 96688 bytes of memory. But when I converted over 
        to Turbo C 2.0, RMAP reported only 32112 bytes used.

        I  did  more tests, trying out different memory  models.  Compact 
        model  was the best, having a 64k code limitation but  allocating 
        data  from the system, rather than from the stack as small  model 
        does. MSC's best model (small) required exactly as much memory as 
        TC's  worst  model (medium). Just for comparison,  here  are  the 
        figures I got:

                     Turbo C                   Microsoft C
        -----------------------------------------------------------------
        Small         83744                       84512
        Medium        84512                       85280
        Compact       32112                       96688
        Large         33136                       97472

        Since  memory  requirements in this application are  critical,  I 
        elected  to go with Turbo C without hesitation. However,  I  have 
        left a copy of the Microsoft C make file in case somebody has MSC 
        and not TC, and the source files have conditional compilations to 
        make  up  the  difference. I also have the MSC  file  set  up  to 
        compile  in  small model, and the TC file to compile  in  compact 
        model.

        Because  of  the  configurable nature of  PolyXarc,  testing  the 
        memory  size is a breeze. You can easily set up a fake  signature 
        to  call a program like CHKDSK, and then create a test file  with 
        that signature to trigger the test. That's what I did, using RMAP 
        instead of CHKDSK because it's faster.

        Contents of TEST.TST:
        TEST

        Signature line in POLYXARC.CFG:
           SIGNATURE 1   0   TEST    -o         RMAP

        Naturally,  PolyXarc's memory requirements have changed a  little 
        since  I  made  those initial tests, but I expect  that  TC  will 
        continue to blow MSC out of the water for memory size.

        To make PolyXarc with Turbo C without debug records:

             make -DDEBUG=/x -fmakpolyx.tc

        with debug records:

             make -DDEBUG=/s/l/m/v -fmakpolyx.tc



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        With Microsoft C without Codeview records:

             make makpolyx.msc

        with Codeview records:

             make optlevel=/Od debug=/Zi linkopt=/CO makpolyx.msc

        That last line also disables optimization. If you use Codeview to 
        debug  PolyXarc and then want to distribute it, I  recommend  you 
        delete the .OBJ files to force a complete recompilation.

        Notice that while both sets of files use the MAKE program, the TC 
        make  file assumes you are using Borland's MAKE program, and  the 
        MSC  make  file assumes you are using Microsoft's  MAKE  program. 
        There are critical differences.

                                      - Jeffrey J. Nonken







































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