Nu-Mega has released Bounds-Checker for Windows, a debugging tool which combines the functionality of a heap checker, parameter validation more extensive than that of the Windows debug kernel, and an interactive postmortem analyzer into a single software tool. DDJ saw this product demonstrated at the Software Development '93 conference and was impressed by the way it detects memory corruption, null-pointer memory referencing, string overruns, and many kinds of improper Windows API usage. Bounds-Checker for Windows begins where Bounds-Checker for DOS leaves off, but has additional features for interactive analysis and incorporates knowledge about Windows entities such as GDI objects, resources, and heaps.
The mode of operation is straightforward: You compile with the compiler's debug option on--no libraries or preprocessors are required. Then, run your program under control of Bounds-Checker for Windows, which traps faults and can detect certain problems even before they generate a fault. As each transgression is encountered, a dialog will pop up and provide you with the opportunity to view variety of informational windows (source code, call stack, memory, and so on) to get to the root of the problem. After your program has finished executing, Bounds-Checker provides a summary of its stack and heap usage, and lists the Windows resources that have not been freed. Reader service no. 20.
Nu-Mega Technologies
P.O. Box 7780
Nashua NH 03060
603-889 2386
Inmark Development has released its zApp application framework for OS/2 2.x. zApp for OS/2 provides the same layer of abstraction over the OS/2 Presentation Manager API that is provided by versions of zApp for the Windows 3.1, Windows NT, DOS graphics mode, and DOS text mode environments.
The zApp application framework consists of 200 classes that allow incorporation of objects such as dialogs, windows, controls, menus, fonts, graphics, bitmaps, MDI windows, printing, memory management, object persistence, and data-entry forms. Applications written with zApp are portable in source-code form to the platforms mentioned earlier.
Inmark claims that zApp applications are about 50-80 percent smaller than equivalent programs written to the native windowing API. zApp for OS/2 comes with over 1200 pages of documentation and 60 sample programs, and lists for $695.00. Reader service no. 21.
Inmark Development Corp.
2065 Landings Drive
Mountain View, CA 94043
415-691-9000
Franz is now shipping Allegro CL\PC, a Common Lisp environment for the Microsoft Windows platform. Allegro CL\PC is an object-oriented development environment based on the Common Lisp Object System (CLOS). It includes an incremental compiler, programmable integrated editor, structure editor, inspector, debugger, tracer, stepper, and time profiler.
Programs written in the Common Lisp language are portable to platforms such as UNIX and Macintosh. Applications for which Common Lisp is particularly appropriate include knowledge-based systems, scheduling and process control, simulation and modeling, computer-aided design and--with the help of the Common Lisp Interface Manager (CLIM) standard--portable GUI-oriented applications.
Allegro CL\PC integrates the object-oriented and functional programming paradigms, and also provides an interface to procedural languages such as C and Fortran via a Windows DLL. Since Common Lisp is a late-binding language, an application does not have to be complete before it can be executed, in contrast to other languages such as C++, in which a program must be complete before it can be compiled. Developers can thus write and debug program components incrementally without having to restart the program each time. Allegro CL\PC's Garbage Collector manages memory allocation automatically, reducing memory leaks and design errors.
Allegro CL\PC requires a 386 processor, 4 Mbytes of RAM and 8 Mbytes of disk space and sells for $595.00. Reader service no. 22.
Franz Inc.
1995 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-548-3600
Phar Lap has released Version 5.0 of its 386|DOS-Extender, which allows developers to use Microsoft's Windows NT 32-bit C/C++ compiler for developing 32-bit extended DOS applications. The 386|DOS-Extender turns DOS into a 32-bit operating environment with a flat, 4-gigabyte address space. It allows 32-bit applications to access the compiler's 16-bit DOS run-time libraries, including graphics. All of the standard 16-bit calls will work from 32-bit protected mode. The 386|DOS-Extender supports the XMS, VCPI, and DPMI specifications.
Included in the 386|DOS-Extender SDK is 386|SRCBug, a 32-bit source-code debugger for protected-mode programs. Commercial applications that have been built with 386|DOS-Extender include Microsoft's FoxPro 2.5 for MS-DOS, Autodesk's AutoCAD 386, and the compilers in Microsoft's Visual C++ and Fortran PowerStation 1.0 packages.
Phar Lap also announced that its 16-bit DOS extender, 286|DOS-Extender Lite, is included in Microsoft's Visual C++ package. This allows users of Visual C++ to write C and C++ protected-mode programs that can access up to 2 Mbytes of memory, and run under DOS, DESQview and Windows. Users who would like CodeView support and need to access more than 2 Mbytes of memory (up to 16 Mbytes) can purchase Phar Lap's full 286|DOS-Extender SDK, which lists for $495.00. Also available from Phar Lap is the 286|DOS-Extender Run-Time Kit (RTK), which provides unlimited redistribution rights for compiled programs, at a price of $995.00. Reader service no. 23.
Phar Lap Software
60 Aberdeen Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-661-1510.
The Cyberspace Development Kit (CDK), a set of C++ class libraries for 3-D visualization and simulation, has been released by Autodesk's multimedia division. The CDK is designed to help programmers to build PC-based 3-D applications that users can interact with in real time--virtual reality, in other words.
The CDK addresses development in the areas of 3-D geometry and physical phenomena (mass, density, gravity, friction, and so forth). The CDK sports an open interface that provides an extensible architecture for transparent access to a variety of input and output devices.
The CDK requires a 386/486 PC with 8 Mbytes of RAM and an 80-Mbyte hard disk, VGA, and MS-DOS 3.1. It can be used with with either the Zortech 386 C++ 3.0 or MetaWare High C/C++ 3.0 compilers in addition to the Phar Lap link and 386|DOS-Extender SDK.
The Cyberspace Developers Kit sells for $2495.00. Reader service no. 24.
Autodesk Inc.
2320 Marinship Way
Sausalito, CA 94965
800-879-4233
Watcom has released Watcom C/C++ 32 Version 9.5, a multiplatform, optimizing 32-bit C/C++ compiler that supports DOS, Windows, OS/2, and other platforms. The toolset includes a 32-bit debugger, plus profiler, linker, make, and other tools such as DOS/4GW, a royalty-free 32-bit DOS extender developed by Rational Systems.
Development can be hosted on DOS, OS/2 2.x, or Windows NT. The following 32-bit targets are supported: 32-bit DOS (with Rational, Phar Lap, or Ergo DOS extenders), Windows 3.x (using the Watcom 32-bit Windows supervisor), OS/2 2.x, Windows NT, Win32s, and AutoCAD ADS/ADI.
The package provides support for creating true 32-bit Windows 3.x applications and DLLs. Support components include 32-bit Windows API library, 32-bit C/C++ library, and Watcom's Supervisor module, which enables execution of 32-bit flat model Windows apps. These programs can be debugged with Watcom's Video debugger. Watcom has licensed the necessary components from Microsoft's SDK so that no additional tools are needed for creating Windows programs.
Watcom's C++ compiler supports AT&T C++ 3.0, including templates and exceptions. The optimizing code generator now supports the Intel 486 and Pentium processors. Its new superscalar optimization strategy uses "riscification" and instruction scheduling to speed up both integer and floating-point computation. Watcom's linker also supports certain C++ optimizations that are only possible at link time, such as elimination of unreferenced virtual functions.
Watcom C/C++ 32 lists for $599.00. Upgrades from Version 9.0 of Watcom C/386 are available directly from Watcom for $199.00. Reader service no. 25.
Watcom
415 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3X2
519-886-3700
Copyright © 1993, Dr. Dobb's Journal
