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Volume Number: 11
Issue Number: 11
Column Tag: Newsbits
By John Kawakami, MacTech Magazine Editorial Assistant
CodeWarrior 7 Delivers
The anticipated CodeWarrior 7 has shipped. CodeWarrior now comes on two CDs -
Tools and Reference. They are designed so that you can install from the Tools CD, and
pop in the Reference CD for, documentation and information.
The CodeWarrior IDE now has new Target preferences, with PlugIn preferences
for languages (C/C++ and Pascal), target platforms (Mac 68K, CFM 68K, PPC,
Win32/x86, and MagicCap), and tools to import from other formats, such as MPW
libraries. The installer will install all the correct files for each platform you choose,
including stationery.
Other changes include improved access paths, mod date checking, multibyte
characters in comments & strings, Enable/Disable Debugging options toggle the
Run/Debug menu item, debugging for non-applications, and searching in the Message
window. The 68K and PowerPC debuggers have been merged; debuggers Win32/x86
and Magic Cap are still separate applications, but they all work in much the same way.
A new debugger nub, named Metronub also makes it’s first public appearance on
CW7. It is intended to replace DebuggerINIT and PowerMac Debug Services. Metronub
is a fat binary on steriods: it supports 68K, CFM68K and PowerPC debugging services.
Changes in the C++ compiler: support for RTTI and new cast expressions, better
error messages, new virtual function dispatch method, more efficiant class layout,
improved code generation for inlines, support for throwing exceptions with
destructors, multiple exceptions, new pragmas for import/export, and new reserved
C++ keywords.
Warning: All C++ libraries and all precompiled header files must be regenerated
for this version.
Pascal improvements: Pascal is now available as a compiler tool in the
CodeWarrior IDE, for the Mac OS only. Includes new types: UNSIGNEDWORD (16 bits)
and UNSIGNEDLONG (32 bits); new function: ReadString, which gets its input from a
character string and can convert characters to different types; and PACKED ARRAY OF
CHAR can now be mixed with the STRING type
68K improvements: Links all compiler-generated code and “unable to inline”
code into segment 1, links very large projects faster.
PowerPC improvements: Smaller vtables, smaller and faster C++ code; new
preference for storing static data in TOC, FMADD and FMSUB instructions, and
traceback tables. Supports pipelining for 601, 603 and 604, new intrinsic functions,
links very large projects faster, new Linker preference controls link memory/speed
tradeoff, other optimization and code generation improvements. Makes source-level
debugging info for inline and template functions when “Don’t Inline” is selected.
Allows you to throw exceptions from Shared Libraries.
Debugger improvements: the debugger is now a single, fat application that debugs
68K and PowerPC code in either C or Pascal. Now has support for debugging C++
exceptions and a menu item to turn this feature on or off. Also comes with a new
debugger nub, MetroNub, to replace both DebuggerINIT and PowerMac DebugServices.
PowerPlant improvements: LString classes for Pascal strings improve
string-handling; new array classes; and new pane classes: LIconPane, LGroupBox,
LTextButton. In the Experimental folder: new table classes for multiple selection,
variable-sized rows and columns, and different storage models.
Constructor improvements: Entirely rewritten in PowerPlant, contains Views,
Text Traits and Custom Pane Types editors; many tools for editing PPobs including
layout and hierarchy windows, automatic Tab and Radio Groups, new classes on Tools
Palette.
In addition to the above, there are more improvements to other parts of the
distribution. For more information, Metrowerks, email: info@metrowerks.com.
Fantasm Assembler
Programmers looking for a low cost assember will want to try Fantasm from Lightsoft.
Ligthsoft claims “In tests against MPW. Fantasm was many times faster and produced
code that was only a fraction of the size of that produced by MPW. Example: for a
simple Macintosh editor based on te, MPW generated 82k, Fantasm generated 18k.”
Version 3.20 of Fantasm was released recently, and all registered owners of 3.xx
should have the latest version. If you are a registered user and have not received the
update, send email to 100625.720@compuserve.com for more information.
If you are not a registered user of Fantasm there’s a demo version, V3.20
(Unreg), available by ftp from:
ftp://ftp.demon.co.uk/pub/mac/fantasm
The OpenMac Free OS Developers Mailing List
There’s a new mailing list dedicated to the technical aspects of porting different UNIX
flavors, such as Linux and NetBSD (referred to here as the OpenMac projects), to the
Macintosh and PowerMacintosh hardware.
Operating system developers need information about the specialized hardware and
low-level driver software in the each Macintosh line. Until now, Apple has been slow
to volunteer this information, and this mailing list attmempts to address this problem.
Since the OpenMac projects are dedicated to the open exchange of information and
source code, there is little likelihood of signing non-disclosure agreements.
The primary reason for this mailing list is to encourage discussion toward
building better relations between the different OpenMac teams and those people
interested in seeing the projects succeed. To this end, their goal is to maintain a list of
specific information that can be presented to interested parties within Apple.
Specifically, we encourage participation on the OpenMac homepage described below,
and contribute your specific needs or solutions to the indicated problems.
The list maintainers emphasize that it’s not a discussion group for feature
requests or software support in the OpenMac OSs. For such information, browse the
Web pages listed at the URLs below.
To subscribe to the OpenMac mailing list, you need to send mail to
majordomo@puma.bevd.blacksburg.va.us with no subject and with body “subscribe
openmac” on a single line. After your mail has been sent, you should receive an
acknowledgement of your request, and short guide on using the listserv.
The primary online resource for the OpenMac ListServ is located at:
http://puma.bevd.blacksburg.va.us/openmac/
More information on the MacLinux or MacBSD projects in general is on the
following pages:
http://nucleus.ibg.uu.se/maclinux
http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/mac68k/
(Another) PDA Developers Conference
Creative Digital Inc., publishers of PDA Developers magazine, is pleased to announce
PDA Developers West ’96, a technical conference designed to give developers that are
creating PDA products:
• an in-depth technical understanding of the most popular hand-held platforms and
their development environments;
• a broad overview of third-party PDA development tools and products;
• crucial information about what it takes to succeed as a PDA software developer;
• insight into wireless technologies and the service providers that are looking for
development partners; and
• a glimpse at new, exciting technologies that will have an impact on the PDA
market.
The first day of the conference consists of full-day tutorials on Magic Cap, GEOS,
Newton, and Psion development. The second and third days include tracks on wireless
development, advanced programming topics, the business of software development, and
new technologies, plus keynotes by: Kheng Joo Khaw, general manager, handheld
computer division, Hewlett Packard, Singapore; Andy Seybold, noted wireless industry
analyst and editor of Andy Seybold’s Outlook; and Jeff Hawkins, Chairman and founder
of Palm Computing.
There will also be ongoing developer tools exhibits and demos all three days. To
maximize attendee flexibility, there are separate registrations for the tutorials and
the second and third days of the conference. PDA Developers West is scheduled for
January 14-16, 1996, in San Mateo, CA, following the San Francisco MacWorld Expo.
Individual tutorials are $150 until Nov. 30. Conference registration starts at $375
for both days, including breakfast and lunch. There are reduced rates for people who
register for both a tutorial and the conference, student rates, and reduced rates for
multiple attendees from the same company. Room rates at the Dunfey Hotel, where the
conference will be held, start at $72 for a single or double room.
Further agenda and registration details can be found on: CompuServe (GO
NEWTVENS, Creative Digital library), American Online (Computing/PDAs/PDA
Development/New Files), eWorld (GO NEWTON/Llama Lounge/Sample Code/New
Files), and ftp://newton.uiowa.edu/submissions.
Look for the files PDvWst96.sit and PDvWst96.zip, or contact Creative Digital
Inc. for more information. PDA Developers West ’96 is produced by Creative Digital
Inc., and sponsored by General Magic, Inc. Creative Digital Inc., 293 Corbett Avenue,
San Francisco, CA 94114,
phone: (415) 621-4252, email: cdi@cdigital.com
Peregrine, a Prograph Client/Server Development Tool
Peregrine is a rapid applicaiton client/server development environment built on the
power of Prograph CPX, a visual and object-oriented programming lnaugae for the
Macintosh. In addition to a sophisticated development environment, Peregrine has a
full featured internal SQL database engine for building standalone of client/server
databases. Developers can create databases and applications without ever being
connected to the target server.
Peregrine is offered in two versions. The Developer version is $1495 and
supports Butler and dtF servers. The Corporate version is $2495 and includes
connectivity to multi-user servers such as Oracle and Sybase as well. These prices
include a subscription to email tech support and three CD ROMs containing upgrades
and information. Pictorius Inc. (800) 927-4847