Version 1.71 of OPTASM, the "n" pass assembler, has been released by SLR Systems. It includes OLINK, a program linker the company claims is faster than any other for standard DOS files. OLINK directly generates a COM file when the output extension is set to COM, or a SYS file when the output is set to SYS. OLINK can use dedicated environment variables as well as ambiguous filenames. ODEBUG, a full-screen symbolic debugger, allows you to reverse-execute source lines, trace your program until some trigger condition, and then back-trace to see how you got there. ODEBUG also provides continuous variable display and a hotkey breakout facility. Also included is OPTHELP for online help. New to OPTASM are object-oriented programming macros, the ability to have macros and equates in structure definitions, and various bug fixes. OPTASM retails for $150, and the update to Version 1.71 from 1.61 is $29.95. Reader service no. 21.
SLR Systems Inc. 1622 N. Main St. Butler, PA 16001 412-282-0864
The Tigre Programming Environment for developing graphical user interfaces has been announced by Tigre Object Systems. You can create color applications that run without modification on Windows 3.0, Macintosh II, Sun/3, Sun SPARCstation, IBM RS/6000, Digital DECstation, and more. The Tigre Programming Environment was written in and based on Objectworks\Smalltalk by ParcPlace Systems.
A key component is the Tigre Interface Designer, which consists of tools and a library of user interface object classes. The library provides buttons, text editors, picture viewers, and other user interface items, all of which can be graphically manipulated and combined.
Also bundled is Tigris, a multiuser, object-oriented database manager. Tigris implements a "persistent objects store," which allows multiuser access to any arbitrary type of data such as variable length text, icons, images, and sounds. The Tigre Programming Environment lists for $3,495. Reader service no. 20.
Tigre Object Systems Inc. 3641 C Soquel Dr. Santa Cruz, CA 95062 408-476-1854
A new family of programmable peripheral devices designed for microcontroller applications has been announced by WSI. The PSD family integrates programmable and peripheral logic, high-density EPROM, and SRAM on a single chip. The first chip available is the PSD301, which works directly with any 8-bit or 16-bit microcontroller or microprocessor by providing such features as I/O ports, busses, address mapping, port tracking, 256K of EPROM, and 16K of SRAM. The ability to integrate these functions on a single device makes this chip conducive for designs that require small board space and low power.
Designers can use off-the-shelf system-building blocks, configure and program them for a variety of system applications, and so reduce system development time. Contact the company for pricing. Reader service no. 22.
WSI 47280 Kato Rd. Fremont, CA 94538 415-656-5400
MEMCHECK, a new debugging package for C developers on PCs has been introduced by StratosWare Corporation. MEMCHECK identifies the source file and line number of unfreed allocations, memory buffer overwrites and underwrites, and instances of invalid pointer usage. MEMCHECK also identifies out-of-memory conditions that can cause crashes, and MEMCHECK libraries support calls to verify memory integrity and produce a current memory allocation list.
DDJ spoke with Michael McGrath of Systems and Software Group, who writes C programs for General Motors. "We include MEMCHECK in all the programs for our debugging versions. It redefines mallocs, callocs, and so on, and tells you which programs left memory laying around. It only pops up when you make mistakes, and doesn't cause problems -- it works real well."
All memory calls are supported for the Microsoft C and Borland Turbo C compilers, and only 4 bytes of overhead per allocation are required at runtime. To install on any project, just add one #include per source file and link with the appropriate MEMCHECK library. MEMCHECK costs $139.95 and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Package includes documentation, free support, and one year of upgrades. Reader service no. 24.
StratosWare P.O. Box 8283 Ann Arbor, MI 48107 313-996-2944
AT&T's Unix System Laboratories (USL) has released C++ Object Interface (OI) Library Release 1.0, a collection of components for developers building X Window System applications with C++. The library is designed to facilitate implementing graphical user interface features.
The library was developed by Solbourne Computer of Longmont, Colorado. It provides a common application programmer interface to USL's Open Look GUI, and will soon do the same for OSF/Motif. The OI Library allows users to choose at runtime the GUI they prefer to use, because developers can construct a user interface independent of a particular GUI -- the C++ objects are generic in nature. The library includes a sample application, the Solbourne Window Manager. The OI Library runs on SunOS, Solbourne OS/MP 4.0C, and soon on Unix System V. Source code fees are $10,000 for the initial CPU and $3,500 for each additional CPU. Reader service no. 25.
Unix System Laboratories P.O. Box 25000 Greensboro, NC 27420 800-828-8649
A code coverage analysis tool for C code, called C-Cover, is new from Bullseye Software. C-Cover measures testing completeness and effort in quantitative terms. C-Cover analyzes whether Boolean conditions in a program's control structure have been met. The company claims that their coverage technique fits C's control structures better than statement or branch coverage and that C-Cover avoids the exponential complexity of full path coverage.
Steve Kaufer, of HyperLynx in Redmond, Washington, told DDJ that he used C-Cover to test their product, which is a computer-aided software engineering tool for the electrical engineering market. Their product, which simulates interconnections between digital chips, is by its nature difficult to test. "I installed C-Cover, ran it, and had a report in less than half an hour. It was extremely helpful -- in the test phase of a product, it analyzes whether all of the branch conditions, such as true and false conditions for if statements, are taken."
C-Cover works with make utilities, and any combination of modules can be analyzed at a time. C-Cover works with ANSI C compilers running MS-DOS and sells for $495. Reader service no. 26.
Bullseye Software 5129 24th Ave. NE, Ste. 9 Seattle, WA 98105 206-524-3575
MicroQuills Segmentor is a Windows development tool designed to improve application runtime performance and reduce memory requirements by mathematically optimizing the allocation of functions into segments.
The Segmentor includes routines that automatically trace an application's runtime activity from a global viewpoint to build a database of every function and its runtime relationships. Without changing the source code, the Segmentor reorganizes functions into a new, mathematically optimal compiler-ready output file. Segmenting supposedly takes less than ten percent of the time previously required to segment by hand. The executable version costs $2,795, and source code is available for $3,995. Reader service no 27.
MicroQuill Inc. 12509 Bel Red Rd. #201 Bellevue, WA 98005 206-453-0068
McCLint Rev2.1 is a C source code semantic checking system for the Mac from MMC AD Systems. McCLint is a stand-alone, lint-type programming tool that helps locate and identify latent programming bugs. Also incorporated is a multiple-window editor and a source code highlighting system. McCLint is the second tool in MMC AD's C Programmer's McTool Series.
DDJ spoke with John Gillespie of Finder Graphics in Corte Madera, California. He said that the code for their product runs about 325,000 lines, most of which is C, and is designed for the VAX VMS and Sun SPARCstation. Gillespie first searched for a lint tool for these platforms and couldn't find a decent one. "So we move files from the VAX to the Mac in order to lint them. We're moving over whole modules and units to the Mac. A nice feature of McCLint is that I can selectively filter out classes of error messages. This new version is integrated, like THINK C; you can double- or triple-click on a line of code in the lint window and it takes you directly to the source code. MMC AD was very helpful -- for every problem I came up with, they came up with a solution for me."
This release adds support for THINK C 4.0 and Microsoft C 6.0. Also included are ANSI function prototype generation for any C source code, special #include file processing, storing the analysis error log directly to disk, and creation of an expanded prototype file. McCLint supports MultiFinder processing, and is priced at $149.95. Upgrades cost $25. Reader service no. 29.
MMC AD Systems Box 360845 Milpitas, CA 95036 415-770-0858
A new release of Pocket Soft's linker, .RTLink/Plus 4.0, now has virtual memory linking (VML). This new feature allows those of you who are using Microsoft languages to develop MS-DOS programs of any size without overlays and without worrying about the memory constraints of the target machines.
VML divides the program into virtual pages, either automatically or whenever you choose. During execution, a swapping algorithm in the virtual memory nucleus controls swapping in and out of memory. VML uses the memory on the target machine. It doesn't require expanded or extended memory, but will use it if available. RTLink/Plus 4.0 can be used on the XT, AT, 386, and above. The VML feature is currently supported for Microsoft C, MASM, QuickC, Fortran, Pascal, and the Codeview Debugger. Release 4.1 will support Clipper. The price is $495. Reader service no. 28.
Pocket Soft Inc. P.O. Box 821049 Houston, TX 77282 713-460-5600
Spinnaker PLUS 2.0 for Windows 3.0 has been released by Spinnaker Software. PLUS is an object-oriented hyperprogramming environment for developing and running custom information management applications across PC-compatibles and Macs. PLUS also provides a direct method of moving HyperCard stacks to the PC, and uses the same graphic interface across PCs and Macs.
DDJ spoke with Tay Vaughan, a senior partner in The HyperMedia Group in Emeryville, California. "We've been involved in PLUS development since its beginning. We use it as a platform in situations where cross-platform capability is important, such as in companies where there's a cross-section of Macs and PCs running under Windows 3.0. The program can then be used in both environments, without major rewriting."
An 80386 is preferred equipment to run PLUS, with a minimum of 2 Mbytes of RAM. Retail price of all versions is $495. Reader service no. 30.
Spinnaker Software 201 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139-1901 617-494-1200
Software developers who need to manage complex data such as technical drawings, engineering designs, musical scores, images, charts, and so on, might want to check into Persistent Data Systems' IDB Object Database, which is programmable in standard C and runs on both Unix workstations and on PC-compatibles under DOS and Windows 3.0. IDB is designed for developers building applications ranging from advanced information systems to computer-aided engineering.
IDB is based on IDL (Interface Description Language), which is used as its data definition language. IDB provides multiple inheritance and dynamic binding on top of off-the-shelf C development tools. IDB applications may be configured with or without an optional display manager and browser. A single license for the IBM PC costs $2,500; licenses for the HP/Apollo or Sun SPARCstation cost $6,000. Reader service no. 31.
Persistent Data Systems 75 W. Chapel Ridge Rd. Pittsburgh, PA 15238 412-963-1843
LC-PORT, a porting kit for Lattice C, is a collection of libraries and header files that duplicate the unique features of the Lattice system libraries. Developed by Crystal Software, LC-PORT was designed to save hours of development time by converting Lattice source code to another development system. The kit contains library functions from the system libraries and from the OS/2 simulation library, Lattice-compatible header files that will not conflict with the header files from other compilers, macro files to simplify conversion of assembly language functions, and documentation for converting to Microsoft, Borland, Watcom, and Zortech compilers. LC-PORT sells for $125 without source code, $250 with. Reader service no. 32.
Crystal Software Inc. P.O. Box 4316 Wheaton, IL 60189-4316 708-653-4414
Copyright © 1991, Dr. Dobb's Journal