XC8 Compilers - Discussion

[chicowood]

I recently needed to revive an old project in MPLAB 8.92 that was on a virtual disk image. The project was still pointing to xc8 v1.43 and it compiled ok. (And it compiled in PRO mode thanks to xlcm medicine installed years ago...)

Then I updated xc8 to to v2.31 and applied medicine. Medicine worked. MPLABX sees the v2.31 compiler and compiles correctly.

But I can't get MPLAB 8 to see v2.31.

In MPLAB 8, under "Select Language Toolsuite" and "Set Language Tool Locations", I set the location to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microchip\xc8\v2.31\bin\xc8.exe" (also tried "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microchip\xc8\v2.31\pic\bin\xc8.exe").

But after I press Apply and OK it doesn't stick. It still compiles with v1.43, and the locations I set above have reverted from v2.31 to v1.43.

Then I go to "Build Options -> Project: Driver". It shows "MPLAB XC8 C Compiler V1.43". V2.31 is not listed, and there's no obvious way to add it. I don't know how to get v2.31 to register with MPLAB 8.

Does anybody remember MPLAB 8 well enough to advise on how to get MPLAB 8 to see 2.31? Or perhaps MPLAB 8 is so old that xc8 v2.31 is incompatible with MPLAB 8?

[Manuel]

No more support.

I still use 8.92 to let ICD2 work ... it's faster in programming some controllers...but it's not supported in Win10. Use it in virtualbox.

take care,
X!

[chicowood]

Thanks....however, for me MPLAB 8 has been working fine with Windows 10 (both 32 and 64 bit) for a long time without problems.

But you're probably right about xc8 v2.31 not being supported for use with MPLAB 8...as I recall, in the old days just installing a new xc8 version made it appear in MPLAB 8 as a Toolsuite option...it didn't this time...

I still prefer MPLAB 8 to MPLAB X after all these years, even though it's long outdated...I spend a lot of time fussing with MPLAB X and all its little ongoing issues.

[metal]

may be it is time to move to mplabx..

[Manuel]

Exactly,

move to MPLABX , u will have just advantages...

The only limit I had is the fact that MPLABX do not support ICD2 anymore...

Take care
X!

[chicowood]

Well, indeed, I've been using MPLABX since it first came out.

I'm just not a fan. Of all the IDEs I use, it's by far my least favorite.

When I fired up MPLAB 8 for this old project, it brought back some fond memories of the earlier PIC days.

[tumbleweed]

I don't know how to get v2.31 to register with MPLAB 8

As others have pointed out, AKAIK there's no way to get any of the XC8 v2.xx versions running in MPLAB 8.92.

They stopped including the files you need to get it registered into MPLAB right around the version you have installed that works (v1.43),
although I seem to remember being able to get v1.45 working as well.

I'm with you... even though MPLAB 8 is old, at least it works. I've had nothing but problems with MPLABX, and I've tried them all.
It has SERIOUS problems connecting reliably to the ICD tools and that's across a number of different PC's, OS's and debug tools.

[chicowood]

Yes, I have found the Netbeans IDE structure to be clumsy and difficult to keep running as a problem-free tool.

While not usually a fan of Microsoft products, I like Visual Studio. It has a couple of Arduino plugins that are impressive, much better than the basic Arduino IDE. I also use Visual Studio for .NET work (Visual Basic, mostly).

I haven't used Eclipse but friends tell me it's pretty good, too.

Would love to see a PIC plugin for Visual Studio...(dream on... )