Zortech C++, Version 3.0, a development package for DOS, MS Windows, OS/2, and DOS 386, is now available from Zortech. The new version includes built-in Windows development tools and documentation, eliminating the need for the Windows SDK. Separate Windows, DOS, OS/2, and DOS 386 compilers have also been rendered superfluous.
Version 3.0 includes a 386 DOS extender which allows you to develop applications of up to 4 gigabytes. The Zortech DOS extender is royalty free and requires much less memory than other DOS extenders. Also included is WINC, a library for converting DOS command-line programs to Windows apps, and the M++ library, which adds complete multidimensional array classes for C++.
The price for Zortech C++ for Windows is listed at $399.95; the developer's edition runs $699.95; and the science and engineering edition costs $999.95. Reader service no. 21
Zortech Inc. 4-C Gill Street Woburn, MA 01801 617-937-0696
Multiscope Debuggers for Windows, now shipping from Multiscope, provide Microsoft Windows, Version 3.0 and character-mode interfaces for debugging Windows and DOS applications written in Code View-information compatible languages. Included are the Run-Time debugger for controlling the execution of a program and the Post-Mortem debugger for analyzing the cause of a program crash. The latter has a Monitor Execution and Dump (MED) system which allows Windows developers to find the reason for an unrecoverable application error, or a hang or crash. When MED detects an upcoming crash, it puts the computer memory contents into a file. The user can then send this to the developer, who can analyze the problem using the 12 different views of the program (including exact location of the crash and variable contents at crash time) provided by the Post-Mortem Debugger.
Also new to the package is remote debugging, whereby two machines are connected using a serial line or network, with the debugger running on the host computer and the application on the remote computer. Remote debugging allows the programmer to control the execution of a program from the machine on which it is running.
The Multiscope Debuggers for Windows cost $379. Reader service no. 22.
Multiscope Inc. 1235 Pear Ave., Suite 111 Mountain View, CA 94043 415-968-4892
Unipress Software has announced PC-Connect 6.01, a Microsoft Windows 3.0-based interface to Unix. The PC-Connect desktop is displayed in a window and split into two parts: the top portion, which shows up to 20 icons for net-worked Unix computers; and the lower portion, which shows up to 64 icons for both local and host-based applications. To start an application, you simply click on an icon; PC-Connect automatically locates both local and remote applications and launches them. You can print to either remote or local printers and make terminal emulation connections to non-Unix hosts, as well.
The package contains a set of Unix utilities with the same look and feel as their Windows counterparts: Unix Exec helps you manage files and directories, and Unix Notepad aids in text editing.
PC-Connect supports Microsoft's DDE, allowing Unix and DOS applications to be hot-linked for automatic updating. An optional SQL link enables DOS apps to be automatically updated from SQL databases on the Unix system. XVision, a Windows-based X-Window server for PCs, provides access to X applications. Also available is the PC-Connect development system, which allows Unix developers to access Windows API facilities so that Unix apps are displayed as Windows applications on PCs
Patrick Montas of Unisys in McLean, Va. used PC-Connect while creating an e-mail package. One requirement was to notify users when e-mail was received, and PC-Connect did this very well by popping up a dialog box. Basically, says Montas, "the best thing about the product is that you can create icons for Unix applications, which saves a lot of time."
PC Connect can be used with RS-232C serial lines, Ethernet, or Token Ring as well as TCP/IP networks. Prices start at $1140, depending on the Unix host system and the number of PC users. XVision costs $449 per PC. Discounts are available for multiple copies. Reader service no. 23.
UniPress Software Inc. 2025 Lincoln Hwy. Edison, NJ 08817 201-985-8000
EDIT*2000 is the new programmer's editor for the QNX operating system from Computer Innovations. EDIT*2000 provides an advanced windowing interface that supports concurrent editing of multiple files and multiple views into a single file. All basic editing capabilities are performed in a single keystroke; you can undo and redo; and redefinable keys facilitate personalization of the system. EDIT*2000 is easy to learn and use and offers online help.
DDJ spoke with Phil Blecker of INX Services in Glendale, Calif., who writes custom applications based on an object-oriented database. "We do all our developing in C++," said Blecker, "and this is the only editor that works with C++ in its native format and isn't proprietary." Phil further commented that Computer Innovations has excellent [technical support] and often makes changes to suit developers' requests.
The single-machine version costs $350; multinode discounts are available. Reader service no. 24.
Computer Innovations Inc. 980 Shrewsbury Ave. Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 201-542-5920
The Paged Memory Manager (PMM) development tool for Windows and OS/2 Presentation Manager applications has been released by Emerging Technology Consultants. PMM uses Windows or OS/2 PM to allocate fixed-size "pages" of memory, then manages the suballocation of memory within those pages, bypassing the native system function calls, and thus eliminating memory management problems. All this is done in a completely transparent fashion.
PMM features multiple locking at several levels. In high-level locking, for example, a page is automatically locked whenever memory is allocated on it, while at the heap level, every memory block allocated within a page can be locked multiple times. This is useful for debugging and allows you to pass parameters via handles without worrying about locking conflicts.
Also supported is memory grouping, which specifies groups of pages containing information you wish to isolate, thus improving program design and implementation. There are debugging and statistics functions as well as free technical support via phone, fax, and e-mail.
PMM for Windows and PMM for OS/2 PM cost $295 each; a developer's kit containing both runs $495; and source code license, $2500. A special version for XVT toolkit users is available from XVT Software Inc. Reader service no. 25.
Emerging Technology Consultants Inc. 3405 Penrose Place Boulder, CO 80301 303-447-9495
Easel Corp. has released EASEL Workbench, an OS/2-based set of development tools for building graphical applications for OS/2, Windows, or DOS. The kit consists of the high-level EASEL language, production compilers for OS/2, Windows and DOS, and EASEL application runtime software. EASEL's graphical user interface helps you develop PC-based client/server and cooperative processing applications, as well as enhance existing terminal-based business applications.
The tools available for designing GUIs are: A layout editor, with which you can create, place, and size windows, dialog boxes, and dialog controls (supports the SAA CUA guidelines); a drawing editor for designing icons and application-specific graphics; a menu editor to easily build action bars and pull-down and cascading menus; an attribute editor for designing and editing an application's individual component attributes; a built-in text editor; and a librarian.
Also included are an incremental compiler which allows you to compile specific parts of an application; a source-level debugger, which executes the application continuously or statement-by-statement; and trace facilities that allow visual monitoring of an application's execution. The organizational tools offered are a parts catalog and a project view manager.
EASEL Workbench provides support for Microsoft's SQL Server, IBM's Database Manager, various mainframe communications protocols, advanced program-to-program communications, and the Dynamic Data Exchange.
EASEL Workbench for either OS/2, Windows, or DOS costs $11,900. Additional production compilers run $5,900. Reader service no. 29.
Easel corporation 25 Corporate Drive Burlington, MA 01803 617-221-2100
The Waite Group's Fractal Creations is a new book from Waite Group Press. The book comes with a disk containing FRACTINT, a program that allows you to explore fractal images on the PC. FRACTINT can convert fractals to 3-D images (which you can view with the accompanying 3-D glasses), as well as zoom-in-on, rotate, colorize, or color cycle them. Using the 3-D mode, you can create mountain ranges, clouds, ferns, or abstracted landscapes.
The book includes a tutorial on fractals, reference material for FRACTINT, and explanations of all the built-in fractals and how they work.
Priced at $34.95, ISBN #1-878739-05-0. Reader service no. 26.
Publishers Group West 800-365-3453
ENVY/Developer 1.0 is the new object-oriented team programming environment for Smalltalk from Object Technology International. The developer supports the full software manufacturing life cycle: prototyping, development, interactive debugging, performance analysis, packaging, and application and embedded systems maintenance. It allows you to improve productivity and reliability, reuse existing components, and reduce maintenance costs. The graphical user interface provides browsing tools for navigation, coding, testing, and debugging.
All source and object code is maintained online in a repository and configuration management and team support are seamlessly integrated with Smalltalk's OOP environment. Thus, all team members have instant access to updates and the complete version history of all components.
ENVY/Developer supports Smalltalk/V 286, Smalltalk/V PM, Smalltalk/V Apollo, Smalltalk/V Sun-3, and an embedded version for MC680x0-based target processors. A Windows version is in the works. Networks supported are Unix TCP/IP, Novell Netware, Sun PC-NFS, Banyan Vines, Digital PCSA, IBM PC-LAN, and LAN Manager.
Single-user versions run $4000, with considerable discounts available for volume purchases. Reader service no. 27.
Object Technology International Inc. 1785 Woodward Drive Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2C OP9 613-228-3535
CodePad is the new programmer's editor from Cognetic Systems that runs as a Windows 3.0 application. While using Codepad to develop either Windows or DOS applications, you no longer have to switch back and forth between DOS and Windows: You can simultaneously view and edit multiple source files of all sizes in overlapping windows.
There is a graphical mouse/keyboard interface and a goto line command useful for locating compiler errors by line number; five different screen fonts; and fast dynamic scrolling for browsing through source files. The package comes with online hypertext help and a user's manual; if you have the Windows SDK you can mark Windows system calls in your source code, then press a hot key to get SDK hypertext help for that topic.
CodePad requires a 386 PC or higher and Microsoft Windows 3.0 running in 386 enhanced or standard mode. Development under Windows requires at least 3.5 Mbytes of system memory and 386 enhanced mode. CodePad sells for $99. Reader service no. 20.
Cognetic Systems Inc. 12534 Pinecrest Rd. Herndon, VA 22071 703-476-7154
The Design and implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System Answer Book is available from Addison-Wesley. Authors Samuel J. Leffler and Marshall Kirk McKusick provide the answers to the end-of-chapter exercises that appear in The Design and Implementation of the 4.3BSD UNIX Operating System, which describes the internal structure of the 4.3BSD system. The book includes concepts, data structures, and algorithms used in implementing the system's fa ilities. Reader service no. 28.
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company 1 Jacob Way Reading, MA 01867 617-944-3700 Ext. 2762 ISBN 0-201-54629-9
The Lucid C compiler for SPARC-based workstations has been released by Lucid. Highly-optimized and fully tested, the compiler supports both Kernighan and Ritchie and ANSI C, and is fully compatible with Sun-provided libraries and tools.
Lucid C features parameter passing in registers and branch scheduling, as well as the following optimizations: global register allocation, global common sub-expression elimination, global constant folding, loop induction variable elimination, strength reduction, code hoisting, tail recursion removal, instruction scheduling, and partial and total redundancy elimination.
The cost for Lucid C, including documentation and a 90-day guarantee, is $495. Site licenses and customer support services are available. Reader service no. 30.
Lucid Inc. 707 Laurel Street Menlo Park, CA 94025 415-329-8400
Copyright © 1991, Dr. Dobb's Journal