DataFocus has announced the availability of the X/Software SDK (X/SDK), the second product in its Nutcracker line of porting tools. While the original Nutcracker SDK supports the porting of character-mode UNIX applications written in C or C++ to Win32, the X/SDK allows you to port X and Motif applications to Windows NT. The X/SDK packages an X Server, UNIX tools, and a set of APIs within Windows DLLs. Once system dependencies such as pathnames, user IDs, or illegal C++ keywords have been resolved, you can recompile the source code and link in the X/SDK DLLs. Because a Nutcracker application is native to Windows, it can be debugged with tools such as WINDBG. The DLLs include the ANSI C run time and provide support for interprocess communication, file I/O, curses, and memory management, as well as X and Motif APIs, including xlib and the xt toolkit.
Nutcracker bundles in the MKS Toolkit to provide common UNIX tools including awk, vi, touch, and so on. The X/SDK retails for $2995.00. Reader service no. 20.
DataFocus
12450 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 400
Fairfax, VA 22033-3831
703-631-6770
MainSoft has announced an upgrade to MainWin, its UNIX library that makes the Windows API available to applications running under Motif. With this tool, Windows applications can run natively under UNIX. The new release includes support for 32-bit Windows NT; both 16- and 32-bit code is supported from a single shared library, thus allowing Windows 3.1 and Windows NT code to execute simultaneously; and MainWin now supports Microsoft's Dynamic Data Exchange Management Library (DDEML).
Developers wishing to write MainWin applications will need to purchase the MainWin Cross-Development Kit (CDK). The CDK allows developers to target both Windows and X Windows from a single source-code base using standard Windows API calls. The CDK includes a workstation copy of MainWin; a Windows-compliant API; support for the Microsoft Foundation Class library; the ability for end users to select either a Windows or Motif look-and-feel; and a common file format that allows data to be shared between UNIX and Windows applications. MainWin 1.1 retails for $199.00. The CDK sells for $5000.00 for a single copy with price reductions for subsequent copies. Reader service no. 21.
MainSoft
1270 Oakmead Parkway, Suite 310
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
408-774-3400
Franz is billing its Allegro CL 2.0 for Windows as the first dynamic object-oriented programming system for the Windows platform. The developer's edition of Allegro CL is a 32-bit compiler based on the Common Lisp Object System (CLOS), which features single and multiple inheritance, method combination, multiple-argument discrimination and meta-object protocol. Allegro CL adds a Windows interface builder that allows you to create dialog boxes and widgets in a visual fashion, browsers, inspectors, and a Windows-hosted debugger. A professional edition is available for those requiring royalty-free distribution of their applications. The professional version includes a run-time generator, source code for Common Graphics and Interface Builder, and a free copy of Win-Emacs from Perl Software. Allegro CL 2.0 for Windows Developer's Edition retails for $595.00; the Professional Edition sells for $995.00. Reader service no. 22.
Franz Inc.
1995 University Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
510-548-3600
ViewSoft is shipping Version 1.1 of its C/C++ GUI development environment, Utah for Windows. Like many such products, Utah begins with an interface builder that generates C++ code. Unique to the product, however, is its Editable Object System (EOS), a C++ class library with platform-independent extensions that provide reflection (self-describing objects) and dynamic binding. Programmer-defined objects can inherit the same functionality by deriving from base EOS objects. The only platforms currently supported are Windows and Windows NT. However, the company indicates that OS/2, Macintosh, and Motif versions are under development. In fact, Utah already provides mappings between EOS's self-describing object structure and IBM's System Object Model (SOM).
Other features of the product include ViewSoft's Semantic Interface Technology which uses "smart components," developed to eliminate GUI dependencies; support for OLE; and the ability to both create and use VBXs. Utah retails for $1495.00. Reader service no. 23.
ViewSoft
60 North 300 West
Provo, UT 84601
810-377-0787
WinRez is a library of C functions that simulates Macintosh resource-handling and memory-management routines under Windows. Mac resource files are converted by renaming existing API calls to WinRez function calls and using the supplied resource fork conversion utility to convert resources, which can then be accessed by any Windows application. The product is supplied in both .DLL and .LIB file formats. C libraries support Windows 3.1, Win32s, Windows NT, and OS/2. The company claims that WinRez has minimal overhead requirements, adding less than 64 Kbytes and using minimal stack space when linking in the .LIB version. A "no-nonsense" license agreement lets you distribute the .DLL with applications, provided that the app doesn't allow end users to directly modify or edit resources. WinRez retails for $349.00. Reader service no. 24.
Partium Inc.
86 Gerrard Street East, Suite 14D
Toronto, ON
Canada M5B 2J1
416-598-9717
Creative Digital Research has launched CDR Publisher, a CD-ROM publishing software package which supports cross-platform recording between PC- and UNIX-based discs. By the end of the first quarter of this year, the company claims the software will support ISO 9660, ISO 9660 with Rockridge Extensions, and Macintosh HFS format, all integrated on a single CD-ROM. The software supports image-on-the-fly, optimized CD layout, automatic filename conversion, and outputting to multiple media.
CDR Publisher currently runs on Windows 3.1, Solaris, SunOS, and Silicon Graphics systems. The package sells for $495.00. Reader service no. 25.
Creative Digital Research
7291 Coronado Drive
San Jose, CA 95129
408-255-0999
Tools and Techniques has released Data Junction v5 for Windows, which provides import/export capabilities for any structured data--databases, spreadsheets, flat files, SQL, binary/EBCDIC, legacy Cobol, ASCII, reports, and other data formats. Although Version 5 is a stand-alone tool, the underlying technology will shortly be released as DJLIB, a programmer's library for universal data import/export services. The DJLIB API will be packaged as DLLs, VBXs, and OCXs, as well as OLE applets. The "advanced" version of Data Junction sells for $249.00, while a "professional" version, which supports fewer formats, sells for $149.00. Reader service no. 26.
Tools and Techniques
2201 Northland Drive
Austin, TX 78756
512-459-1308
ImageSoft has announced Subtleware for C++/SQL, a persistence interface for mapping C++ objects to and from SQL tables. Used with the C++/SQL API, the SQLExec facility maps existing database schemata and data to C++ application objects. C++/SQL defines C++ classes from existing database schemata using a class generator called CGEN. The system also includes a code generator called SGEN. The software, which sells for $899.00, supports all popular SQL databases, operating systems, and hardware platforms. Reader service no. 27.
ImageSoft
2 Haven Avenue
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-767-2233
Prentice Hall has published Protect Your Privacy: The PGP User's Guide, written by frequent DDJ contributor William Stallings. In his book, Stallings explains what PGP ("Pretty Good Privacy") encryption software is, how you can get it, and what you can do with it. The 300-page book sells for $19.95. ISBN 0-13-185596-4. Reader service no. 28.
Prentice Hall
P.O. Box 11073
Des Moines, IA 50381-1073
800-947-7700
Performix has released Version 2.0 of Drag-it, its drag-and-drop tool for Visual C++, along with a new version for Visual Basic. Drag-it 2.0 includes a class library, starter files, a builder, and sample apps. The tool also supports OLE. Drag-it 2.0 for VC++ sells for $495.00, while Drag-it/VBX retails for $295.00. Reader service no. 29.
Performix
6618 Daryn Drive
Westhills, CA 91307
708-291-8421
Micro Tempus has announced Tempus Connectivity Solution (TCS), a distributed architecture platform for connecting disparate PC local networks, mainframes, and minis into a wide-area network. TCS provides for file and resource sharing between users, as well as high-level data security. TCS is a peer-to-peer technology that is based on Advanced Program-to-Program Communications (APPC) and Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking (APPN).
TCS currently supports DOS/Windows, OS/2, NetWare, and MVS/VTAM. A future release will support Windows NT and UNIX.
The TCS SDK lets you create custom applications using languages such as Visual Basic and C++. The SDK also comes with a variety of sample apps, including a file back-up utility and a conference-call program that lets multiple users hold party-line conversations over the TCS network. Source code for the sample applications is provided in both Visual Basic and C so it can be used as a basis for building other TCS applications. Reader service no. 30.
Micro Tempus
999 de Maisonneuve Blvd., W., Suite 1100
Montreal, PQ
Canada H3A 3L4
514-848-0803
In a move to gain support for its new object-oriented application environment, Taligent has announced a new certification and branding program. Along with the announcement came news of the renaming of its TalAE to "CommonPoint,'' as well as a new logo for the product line. Taligent, a company backed by heavyweights Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM, states that the certification and branding program is intended to ensure the consistency and compatibility of their frameworks across HP-UX, OS/2, and AIX. With implementations expected sometime in 1995, Taligent will license the CommonPoint name to implementations which have passed a set of "depth and breadth" tests that, among other things, checks the functionality and quality of a core set of frameworks, and verifies the existence of public objects and member functions. Reader service no. 31.
Taligent
1021 N. De Anza Boulevard
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-255-2525
FlashPort from AT&T Software Solutions Group makes it possible to translate software in object form from one computer system to different systems. Once translated, the software is semantically and functionally identical to the original. The translation software is compatible with any language (or combination of languages), except for those which extensively compose code dynamically (such as Forth). FlashPort generates globally optimized object code in the native instruction set of the target platform. Source platforms include 680x0-based UNIX, 680x0-based Macintosh System 7, and IBM System 360/70/90. Target platforms include IBM RS/6000 and PowerPC, Apple Power Macintosh, Sun SPARCStation, HP Precision Architecture, MIPS, and Intel Pentium processors. Reader service no. 32.
AT&T Software Solutions Group
10 Independence Blvd.
Warren, NJ 07059-6799
800-462-8146
The Robotics Practitioner is a new quarterly magazine published by Footfalls Ltd. that covers the design, development, and performance of robots. In general, articles will focus on the practicalities of building robots from both the hardware and software perspective. Regular coverage also includes clubs, events, and online discussion groups. Subscriptions to the magazine are $38.00 annually. Reader service no. 33.
Footfalls Ltd.
483 S. Kirkwood Road, Suite 130
Kirkwood, MO 63122
314-822-4263
[email protected]
Coming out of Intel's Embedded Processor Division is the PCI I/O Software Development Kit (PCI-SDK), which is based on the i960 embedded RISC processor. The kit bundles a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus I/O add-in card with interchangeable i960 processor modules; PLX technologies PCI 9060, eliminating the need to write proprietary ASIC, FPGA, or PAL components; and an 80960-to-PCI bus bridge chip for the i960. Also available are user-selectable I/O modules from Cyclone Microsystems, including SCSI-2, SCSI-3, Ethernet, and a high-speed serial I/O module.
The SDK also provides programmer tools, including a C compiler, profiler, and debugger. Intel hopes that developers creating software for intelligent I/O cards will take advantage of the increased bandwidth, throughput, and concurrency that the PCI bus offers. For more information and pricing on the SDK, contact Intel at 800-628-8686, or request packet #272612 from the Intel Literature Center at 800-548-4725; for information regarding the bridge chips, contact PLX Technologies at 415-960-0448; for information on the customized I/O modules, contact Cyclone Systems at 203-786-5536. Reader service no. 34.
Intel Literature Center
P.O Box 7641
Mt. Prospect, IL 60056-7641
800-548-4725
Copyright © 1995, Dr. Dobb's Journal
