Lua versus C++ for embedded processor

[John Benson]

Regarding the message appended below: I was in a similar situation, only I
had 4 "small" (RAM-wise) legacy processors in a fault-tolerant Tandem K100
system. The system came with an old Borland C++ compiler but I didn't want
to become an expert in anachronistic C++ trivia, so I ported Lua
(www.lua.org) using the perfectly serviceable C compiler. Although I still
need to put in library extensions to access the Tandem's Guardian OS API,
Lua came up quick and easy, gave me object-oriented scripting and provided
access to the applicable portion of the C Standard Library.

I've programmed Z-World Z-180-based embedded microcontrollers in their
Dynamic C language, and will be using their products again but I'm seriously
considering porting Lua in via Dynamic C so I can have object-oriented
scripting to facilitate prototyping and systems integration work. Whether it
will work out in this case is not clear yet, but the Tandem port worked
fine. Maybe Lua has a place in your embedded application, if there isn't
enough infrastructure for Python.

As for C++ on microcontrollers, I have absolutely no idea what the pros and
cons are. Any ideas out there on whether C++ is a good fit there?

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:16:48 -0500
From: Peter Hansen <peter at engcorp.com>
Subject: Re: I come not to bury C++, but to praise it...
To: python-list at python.org
Message-ID: <40056B70.3E04217B at engcorp.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Cameron Laird wrote:
>
> I was still fussing with cfront in the early '90s.
> Its era *had* passed by then, though.

And I actually went looking for it again as recently as two years
ago, considering the possibility of using it to allow the use of
C++ code for a small embedded processor which did not have an
available C++ compiler.  I actually don't remember precisely why
we didn't try it out, and I assume we simply got distracted by having
to make things work and forgot to continue the search.

Can it be used as a front-end for such chips, where at best there
are two or three C compilers on the market?

-Peter