The Queensland University of Technology has also released a free Pascal Compiler with source called "Component Pascal" that has two operating modes: one in connection with the Java Virtual Machine and the other one in connection with Microsoft's .NET initiative / vaporware / scheme / ideal / racket (take your pick).

Here is the URL for the ZIPs and GZIPped tarballs of <A HREF="www2.fit.qut.edu.au/CompSci/PLAS/ComponentPascal/cpnet.html">Component Pascal</A>.

The reason I mention this is twofold: it may be worth looking into to see if there is anything useful that it implements that Free Pascal does not that could be imported into FPC. Two of the things that the above website mentions is that Component Pascal passes all the stringent requirements Microsoft put down for generated code to be used with the environment, and the second being the explicit suport for such concepts as properties and events as used in the component framework.

If this code is examined it may be possible to figure out how to allow Free Pascal to be used with .NET and with the JVM - the latter is something I have been considering something that would be a good idea - and thus could conceivably provide those who use Free Pascal with two additional platforms that their code could be run upon.

Paul Robinson