All DatabasesMacTech Vol 10-1994
PowerPC
Volume Number: 10
Issue Number: 1
Column Tag: Editor's Page
The Editor's Page
The year of the PowerPC
By Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief
You already know that PowerPC is coming sometime in the first half of 1994.
You already know that you will only see the speed enhancements if you port your
applications to native PowerPC code. You know that there are tools to come. But, what
you really want to know is more than these ambiguities - you want some hard core
information. This issue is the first in a series that will work towards that goal.
This month we’ve brought you an article from Apple about how to port your code
- the first in a series of articles called Powering Up. And, there will be more
information coming from Apple as time goes on. Word has it that porting ranges from
difficult to extremely easy. The bottom line is that if your code hasn’t broken the
rules, if you haven’t made assumptions about the machine you are running on, and if
you haven’t “taken advantage” of certain characteristics of the Macintosh to date, then
your code will port very easily. But if you have done the above, then porting will be
somewhat painful. Apple has done as good a job as can be expected of easing the port
the rest is up to us.
In addition to the Powering Up article, we’ve brought you an early look at the
first real development system for PowerPC - CodeWarrior™ CD from Metrowerks.
This environment will be available to you the first week in January. If you are going
to be at Macworld, Metrowerks will be a guest in our booth at the show (Booth 1222).
They will be showing the new environment - come and check it out!
The remainder of this editorial will cover a number of tools that are coming. By
no means is this an exhaustive list, but it does cover those companies that are
producing tools specific to PowerPC development work.
SDK from Apple
Apple recently announced that it will offer a software developer’s kit (SDK) as a
transitional development environment that will enable early adopters to bring
applications to market sooner. The official name of this product is Macintosh on RISC
SDK. Using the SDK, you’ll be able to develop native PowerPC applications using a
680x0-based Macintosh. MPW will be the foundation of the environment. The SDK
will include: C and C++ cross compiler for PowerPC, PowerPC cross assembler,
PowerPC cross linker, MacApp for the Macintosh on PowerPC, a remote source-level
and machine-level debugger for Macintosh on PowerPC, interface files and libraries
for Macintosh on PowerPC, tools and documentation to ease the transition to MPW for
users of Symantec’s THINK C, additional tools and electronic documentation.
In addition to the SDK, Apple will be distributing Metrowerks CodeWarrior at
Macworld. Finally, Apple will be providing more information on PowerPC at
Macworld Expo’s “Developer Central”. If you will be at Macworld Expo, stop by.
The Symantec Environments
As you might expect from the market leader in Macintosh development, Symantec
will be providing native solutions for PowerPC. As you may remember, Apple and
Symantec made an announcement about this last May. They are working together to
take THINK Technology and MPW features, put them together and create the “Next
Generation” environments. Symantec’s plans include maintaining a strong 680x0
environment while providing solutions for PowerPC. You should expect to see
PowerPC hosted and cross development environments sometime in 1994.
Symantec will also be working to make the transition easier. They will be
providing class libraries that run on both platforms and migration will be assisted.
Their compilers will be based on the same front end on both platforms. As time goes
on, look for more details from Symantec.
CodeWarrior CD from Metrowerks
Word has it that this new entry to the market is quite impressive. If you have
frustrations with your current environment or need PowerPC tools now, check this
product out. See the product review in this issue for more details. [Metrowerks will
not be selling the product directly. Through a special agreement we’ve arranged it so
that you can get the new environment very easily. See the MacTech Magazine Mail
Order Store section at the end of this issue for more information.]
FlashPort from Echo Logic
Early on in announcements for PowerPC, Apple presented Echo Logic’s FlashPort
as a porting option. FlashPort can translate object code of any application written in
assembly, any procedural language, or a combination. FlashPort’s user interface
debugger shows strong resemblance to a interactive debugger. Code originally written
in a high-level language can usually be translated in a matter of days. Code written in
assembly generally requires more human intervention, but can still be done in a few
weeks.
FlashPort can optionally generate PowerPC Macintosh assembly source or
executable files. Translated code retains symbolic debugging information. FlashPort
is particularly useful for those companies that need to translate quickly or have
assembly sources that need to be moved to PowerPC. The product pays for itself by
saving time for developer’s needing to port to PowerPC.
Jasik’s Debugger from Jasik Designs
What would Macintosh programming be without Steve Jasik’s debugger? That’s
the question many of you have asked. Don’t worry, as Steve celebrates his 9th
anniversary on the Macintosh (almost as long as this magazine), he’s already working
on the PowerPC version of The Debugger. Initially, Jasik will ship products that run
in emulation mode allowing you to see information for 68K and PowerPC. The
Debugger runs at a reasonable speed in emulation.
Steve will be showing some parts of the product at January’s Macworld Expo. By
PowerPC introduction (the first half of 1994), The Debugger will be shipping.
PowerPC aware updates to the rest of the debugger suite will be sent to registered
users when available. Jasik’s disassembler has “training wheels” where it will help
users with descriptions of the PowerPC mnemonics for disassembled code. Since Apple
introduced the .SYM file format 5 years ago, Jasik has taken advantage it. There will
be an equivalent on PowerPC supported by Metrowerks and MPW. Unfortunately,
Symantec still has not announced support of this long-running standard.
SmalltalkAgents from QKS
For those of you Smalltalk fans, you haven’t been left out! QKS is planning to
release a PowerPC version of SmalltalkAgents. This version will be identical to
version 1.1 of SmalltalkAgents for Macintosh with the additional support for the Code
Fragment Manager. The Macintosh version was designed with various RISC
architectures in mind. SmalltalkAgents is a dynamic cross-platform development
system and application delivery tool based on a superset of the Smalltalk language. It
continues to include: a compiler, a debugger, source code browsers, class libraries,
the complete application framework, a GUI Builder, and an Application Delivery
Toolkit.
SmalltalkAgents for PowerPC will also support pre-emptive interrupt driven
threads and events, fully styled source code with color and fonts, inline foreign
function callbacks to C, Pascal, Fortran, and Assembly, 8/16/24-bit international
character set, Unicode standard and WorldScript. One of the unique feature of
SmalltalkAgents for PowerPC as well as for Macintosh is Platform Independent
Portable Objects (PIPO), and Catch/Throw/Proceed Exception Handling. QKS is
targeted to ship SmalltalkAgents PowerPC version 1.0 in 2nd Quarter of 1994.
What’s coming from Absoft
Absoft will be providing two software development tool kits: C/C++ and
FORTRAN 77. To simplify portability between 68K and PowerPC Macintosh, and while
awaiting the public acceptance on PowerPC development environments (Metrowerks,
Symantec, et al), Absoft will be using MPW. Under emulation it works well, and since
they are using it primarily as an editor, does not restrict performance.
Absoft’s Macintosh PowerPC compilers are based on their new third generation
RISC code generator. Their first was in 1987 for Motorola's M88000, the second was
for SPARC, new M88000 and RS/6000. This latest version of their code generator is
designed for superscalar type architectures which yields good performance and the
ability to take full advantage of future PowerPC revisions. This new PowerPC
back-end is capable of supporting C, C++, F77 and our forthcoming (Cray/Absoft)
F90 front ends.
The C/C++ compiler is completely native. It includes options for K&R and ANSI
C as well as C++. The C++ compiler supports v3.0 features including multiple
inheritances and templates as well as a full class browser and toolbox support. The
FORTRAN77 compiler is also completely native. It is 100% source compatible with
v3.3 MacFortran II (release date Jan. 94) and Absoft’s F77 for DOS, WinNT,
Unixware, SCO, RS/6000 and SPARC. Functionality is effectively the same as the
current 68K version. Absoft also plans to include Macintosh Runtime Window
Environment (MRWE). There will be an improved version of Absoft’s Fx
multi-language debugger currently available for a variety of platforms and OEM'd by
companies like Motorola and NCR. Capable of debugging intermixed C, C++, F77 and
assembler it provides full support for C++ including overloaded functions and name
demangling. A complete Macintosh interface will be included as well as a graphical
browser for navigating, viewing and editing C++ classes. Finally, Absoft has developed
a new native PowerPC linker for the Macintosh PowerPC platform.
These products will be combined and offered as a F77 or C/C++ Developer
Toolkit including MPW, native F77 or C/C++ compiler, linker and Fx debugger.
Absoft’s PowerPC products will be available concurrent with Apple's initial shipments
of Macintosh PowerPC.
What’s coming from Language Systems
Language Systems has recently reorganized and is moving to a larger facility.
During the latter half of 1993, Language Systems has embarked on an aggressive
engineering effort to broaden their development tool presence in the Macintosh market
(as well as on other platforms). In addition to new Fortran products, development has
focused on a new integrated programming environment and additional object-oriented
languages. Look for Language Systems to make announcements with greater detail as to
their efforts by the end of 1Q94.
As you would expect, Language Systems will be providing Fortran support for
PowerPC. Their current plans include releasing a PowerPC version of Language
Systems FORTRAN 3.3 which supports the FORTRAN77 with VAX extensions definition.
This product will be available con currently with Apple’s release of PowerPC. In
addition, Language Systems will be releasing a Fortran 90 compliant version of their
compiler for PowerPC Macintosh by mid-1994. With both setups, Language Systems’
customers will be able to run their Fortran programs at native PowerPC speeds.
CPX from Prograph Systems
As many of you know, Prograph Systems has come out with a new version of
Prograph called Prograph CPX. From the beginning, CPX was intended as a new base to
build on - it was designed to be a cross-platform development tool.
CPX is being ported to Windows and Unix. The first cross-platform product from
Prograph will allow developers to develop on the Macintosh, generate C++ code from
their efforts, and then compile that code with libraries on the target platform.
Prograph is already demonstrating early versions of ported applications using this
methodology.
The “full ports” of CPX will be available in Spring, 1994. Prograph’s porting
to other platforms has been eased because they built the development environment on
top of CPX. Look for PowerPC Macintosh Prograph products to be available at the
introduction of Macintosh on PowerPC from Apple.
Object Master from ACI
Object Master Universal 2.1, which will be released in December, 1993,
includes support for Apple's Cross Development Environment. Users will be able to
use Object Master when compiling code for 68K-based machines as well as code for
PowerPC. Moreover, Apple's Cross Development Environment is MPW-based - not
something that THINK users are looking forward to. But, by using Object Master,
THINK users will be able to take advantage of their favorite environment without
having to get deeply involved with MPW.
Concurrent with the introduction of PowerPC Macintosh, ACI will have Object
Master for PowerPC (running native). According to ACI, this product will support all
compilers for the PowerPC. There will be one Object Master product for all
platforms. During installation, the installer will detect which machine it is installing
on and will install the appropriate code. Furthermore, users will be able to move
Object Master from one architecture to another with no added costs.
But Neil I want to know more
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough room here to give you contact information for
all of these companies. Instead, if you’d like to find out more, contact our customer
service department and they’ll be happy to give you contact information for each
publisher.
Late breaking news - Heads Up on Bedrock!
As of this writing, Apple was re-examining their position with Bedrock. Word
from Symantec is that they are still firmly behind Bedrock and that the relationship
between Apple and Symantec remains strong. Symantec has said that both companies
are “now investigating future directions for Bedrock, including basing the upper two
layers of Bedrock on a compound document architecture, such as OpenDoc or OLE.
Should there be any changes, Symantec and Apple will publically announce them at the
appropriate time.”
An Apple spokesperson confirmed that “Apple is evaluating Bedrock in the light
of OpenDoc.” They want to make sure that the framework they support will be one that
developers use. Since Apple is strongly committed to OpenDoc, they want their
framework to give developers a migration path to that technology. Stay tuned
We’re recycled!
For some time now, many of you have asked us to print the magazine on recycled
paper. As you may already know, using recycled paper has been a difficult goal to
reach because, to date, it has been cost and production problems. We are proud to
announce that starting with this issue of MacTech Magazine, we are using recycled
stock for the body of the magazine - at no additional cost to you. This paper has 50%
recycled content including both pre- and post-consumer waste. This move, in
conjunction with the Soy-based inks that we have used for some time, make this
publication as environmentally sound as is possible in today’s world. We hope that you
join us in our continuing efforts to reduce man’s impact on the environment. And
remember, if you are going to write me on this [or any] subject, write me an e-mail
instead of a letter - it’ll save paper.
Have a very happy New Year from all of us at MacTech Magazine.
Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief
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