WATCOM
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https://uwaterloo.ca/computer-museum/sites/default/files/styles/ uw_is_media_x_large/public/uploads/images/watcom.png>
WHAT IS WATCOM?
===============
WATCOM is a set of compilers and tools for developing software in the
Fortran, C, and C++ programming languages. It was originally
developed by the Watcom International Corporation in the 1980s and
1990s.
WATCOM was widely used for developing software for DOS and Windows.
It supported DOS, extended DOS 32-bit, Win16, Win32, and OS/2.
Although their products are discontinued in the 2000s, WATCOM C/C++
compilers are still available under the name of open WATCOM in the
GitHub.
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https://uwaterloo.ca/computer-museum/sites/default/files/styles/ uw_is_media_x_large/public/uploads/images/wesgraham.jpg>
The story of WATCOM begins with a computer scientist at University of
Waterloo, Wes Graham. In 1974, Wes Graham and Ian McPhee founded a
company named Structured Computing Systems. The company soon changed
its name in 1981, to WATCOM Systems Inc. With three full-time
employees, the history of WATCOM began. WATCOM had several subsidiary companies, but they were all renamed as WATCOM companies for branding
purpose. After 1984, the company named itself WATCOM International Inc.
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https://uwaterloo.ca/computer-museum/sites/default/files/styles/ uw_is_media_x_large/public/uploads/images/memory.png>
The picture above is a screenshot of WATCOM IDE 10.0a version.
Credit to: Gered's Rambling
WATCOM was an efficient c/c++ compiler. In the 90s, the capability of
WATCOM compiler caught 3D game developers' attention. Plus, WATCOM
compiler performed much faster than its competitors, Microsoft and
Borland. Amongst many games that used WATCOM, we will name a few that
you have certainly heard if you like video games: Doom and 3D Realms.
The product was also shipped with popular DOS extender DOS/4GW.
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DOOM
WATCOM's present
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In the early 2000s, a company named PowerSoft acquired WATCOM. Sybase
then acquired Powersoft. multiple projects succeeding WATCOM products
was planned to be released, but due to branding issue, the projects
were cancelled. WATCOM compilers are now released as open source as
the name of Open WATCOM.
History of WATCOM in short
==========================
* 1979
WATCOM Waterloo BASIC programming language
Between 1978-1979, Waterloo BASIC was developed for IBM Series.
* 1981
The WATCOM International Corporation was founded
The company is officially founded by the computer scientists at the
University of Waterloo, Wes Graham and Ian McPhee, Fred Crigger,
Jack Schueler.
* 1983
WATCOM in production
In the early 1980s the company developed other software tools than
BASIC programming language, including WATCOM APL, GKS, COBOL,
FORTRAN, and Pascal. These products were compatible with commodore
SuperPET.
* 1988
Rise of WATCOM compilers
From the mid 1980s WATCOM started to developed compilers for other
programming languages, including C/C++. The compilers made by
WATCOM was known for its processing speed. Thus, many video games
of that era used WATCOM compiler for their game.
* 1992
The start of WATCOM SQL
The company started to produce database server product, SQL. You
can still look for WATCOM SQL around; it just does not have the
name WATCOM anymore. It is now called SAP SQL Anywhere.
* 1994
WATCOM in history
Powersoft acquired WATCOM. Sybase acquired Powersoft. In the early
2000s, projects succeeding WATCOM products was put on hold due to
business issue. WATCOM compilers are now released as open source as
the name of Open WATCOM. You can download the software from the
GitHub.
From: <
https://uwaterloo.ca/computer-museum/blog/watcom>
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