MS C 4.0 Documentation Added

Another library expansion. This time it’s Microsoft C 4.0 documentation (1986)—because it’s not available online, is not easy to find offline, and because Jeff asked for it.

MS C 4.0 was an early Microsoft compiler, implementing first glimpses of the not-yet finalized ANSI C standard. It was released in summer 1986 and superseded first by the little-known Microsoft C 5.0 in 1987, and more importantly by the very popular Microsoft C 5.1 in early 1988.

MS C 4.0 CLMicrosoft C 4.0 was notable for supporting Microsoft Windows. It was likely the compiler used for developing most Windows 1.x software available on the market.

An important addition in version 4.0 was CodeView, a full-screen source level debugger which superseded DEBUG and SYMDEB. 30 years ago, source level debuggers were fancy!

This entry was posted in C, Documentation, DOS, Microsoft. Bookmark the permalink.

7 Responses to MS C 4.0 Documentation Added

  1. raijinzrael says:

    Is always interesting to see how many fancy features in MS packages were made by 3rd companies. In this specific case, CodeView was developed by Numega (better known by their SoftICE debugger).

  2. Michal Necasek says:

    That’s odd. How did NuMega, founded in 1987, develop a debugger released in 1986? Time travel? They did work with Microsoft on later CodeView versions for Windows 3.x, but I really don’t think that was the case with the early CodeView versions.

  3. raijinzrael says:

    Yah, your’re right. Normal CV was made by MS. Years after MS licensed bits of the Soft-ICE technology to produce 2 alternative versions. MagicCV to run in low RAM machines, and CV(W)/1, executable with a set of DOS drivers and VXD to run CodeView both testing target and debugger in the same screen.

    https://books.google.com.mx/books?id=3D0EAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PT1&ots=AEwRIoDiJ4&dq=numega%20codeview&pg=PT1#v=onepage&q=numega%20codeview&f=false

  4. Alex Czarnowski says:

    I always suspected that there had to be a stronger connection between NuMega and MS – otherwise such breakthrough product as WinIce and later SoftICE versions wouldn’t be possible. Now reading about NuMega CodeView connection all the pieces start to fall together. It would rock if someone would find more info about WinIce development history. The legend says that betatesters got cool T-shirts with something along the lines “there were telling you its not possible” or something similar.

  5. jack says:

    You can compile Windows 1.03 SDK with MS C 4.0

  6. Jeff says:

    Jeff thanks you!

  7. Just as a note, thank you for publishing this as I needed this for a recent project.

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