DICE C Development System (Amiga Computing 85, April 1995)

What’s it do?

Installation is achieved through the standard Installer utility for both hard drive users and floppy users. Options on the completeness of installation are given, along with a choice of which version of the Include files you want to use. This section passed without a problem.

Once installed, a hulking great “ReadMe” file is thrown at you containing details of bug-fixes, known bugs, release notes and a licensing agreement which could teach Satan’s little workers a thing or two about contracts.*

From this point on, you’re on your own to a large extent. Thirteen example projects are included to introduce you to the joys of VMake and I’ll admit to feeling a little bit lost at this point and longing for a tutorial.

However, things soon clear up (as good Doctors say) and my eyes were opened to something that will probably revolutionise the way in which C programmers work. Just what VMake is is difficult to pin down in words but basically it’s a complete windowing environment that can integrate the DICE package together visually, therefore eliminating the need to remember CLI options for compilers, linkers, debuggers and more. I say “can” because DICE can also be completely used from the CLI by those who want to.

Despite this inclusion, I guess that even the most die hard shell addict will give in and use VMake – it really is excellent. It pulls the whole of DICE together so well that the reference section of the manual seems a little superfluous.

The best way to describe DICE’s operation with VMake is through an example: to start your project off, you simply give the name of the executable file you want to build. Next, add the names of files that you want to be part of the package. After that, double clicking on these names brings up the system’s default editor to edit them. Once happy with your modifications, you can choose to bring RCS (Revision Control System) into play by “Checking In” your file, but you don’t have to use this if you don’t want to. When everything’s hunky dory, click on the make button and watch the program compile without having to touch a makefile! All dependencies are worked out for you and better still, prototypes are generated automatically thus eliminating the need for manually transcribing the functions from each of your files into one file for inclusion.