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