Concurrent C is a superset of C that is tailored for parallel programming. The language, designed and implemented at AT&T Bell Laboratories by Dr. Narain Gehani and Dr. William D. Roome, has been licensed until now only as research technology for universities and other research institutions.

"We're expanding the availability of Concurrent C to help more programmers experiment with ways to write applications with parallelism for uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems," said Mike DeFazio, director of system software at the UNIX software operation.

Concurrent C is the result of an effort to enhance C so that it can be used to write concurrent programs that can run efficiently on single computers, on loosely-coupled distributed computer networks, or on tightly-coupled distributed multi-processors. Concurrent C is an upward compatible extension to C and C++.

Licenses for concurrent C are available in source code format from AT&T's UNIX software operation on a 9-track tape in cpio and tar format. The current implementation assumes machines with a 32-bit word. It also assumes that the C compiler supports long identifier or "flex" names.

From March 19 to July 31, 1990, educational institutions will be able to license Concurrent C for $700. The regular educational price is $1000.

The C++ Language System Release 2.1 fixes bugs detected by developers and reported by customers since the release of R2.0 last June. The new release is accompanied by the version of the C++ reference manual that Bjarne Stroustrup has presented to the ANSI C++ committee. The C++ release is available to software vendors in source code for $25,000. Upgrades from Release 2.0 are $5000.

Vendors who wish to license either product should contact the UNIX Software Operation in Greensboro, N.C., at (800) 828-UNIX, in London at (+44-1-) 567-7711, in Tokyo at (+813-) 431-3670, or in New Delhi at (+91-11-) 331-0513.

TDD isolates the design phase from logic programming. Once the design is complete, the parameters are passed to the Better-C generator, which generates either a module framework or function frame. The programmer codes the logic into the generated frame. Design data can be saved for future modification.

The TDD package consists of a top-down design tutorial and the interactive designer. Contact Silico-Magnetic Intelligence, 24 Jean Lane, Chestnut Ridge, NY 10952. (914) 426-2610.

The new version supports all character, integer and floating point arrays including complex. Version 2.0 also adds a dynamic memory management system that improves allocation speed while reducing or eliminating memory fragmentation problems. The new allocation tools work for both M++ and user-defined classes.

M++ 2.0 also improves on the speed and extent of the previous version's math support.

M++ is compatible with AT&T C++ 2.0 compatible compilers and translators, including Zortech and Glockenspiel. The MS-DOS and OS/2 version is $295. Source code and UNIX, VMS and Apple versions are also available.

Contact Dyad Software, 13103 Travis View Loop, Austin, TX 78732 (800) 274-9739; FAX (512) 338-5599.

Divvy supplies routines to create tasks, define task priorities, handle flags and queues, get and change system status, and interface hardware interrupt service routines into the multi-tasking system. Divvy can support "unlimited" tasks, flags, and queues — system memory is the only limit on application size. Divvy includes multi-tasking versions of standard input and output routines, so that other tasks can execute while one task waits for operator input.

Divvy uses a priority-based, non-preemptive scheduler, avoiding the need for re-entrancy and thus allowing applications to use standard libraries and MS-DOS calls.

Price is $229. Contact Technical Sales, Drumlin, 1011 Grand Central Ave., Glendale, CA 91201 (818) 244-4600; FAX (818) 244-4246.

The C Windows Toolkit user interface library supports the development of windows, help screens, popup menus and spreadsheet-style menus. Magna Carta has previously offered support for the 286 Watcom C compiler.

The new version is $199.90; $99.95 as an upgrade. Contact Magna Carta Software, Box 475594, Garland TX 75047-5594 (214) 226-6909.

In addition to precise decimal math, Financial MathLib provides functions to calculate loan amortization, internal rate of return on bonds, depreciation, and compound interest. MathLib also includes transcendental and trigonometric functions, date manipulation, type conversions and an error detection and reporting system.

The package supports Turbo C, Microsoft C, QuickC, Lattice C, and Zortech C. Source code is included. Price is $395; upgrades for $65. Contact Greenleaf Software, Inc., 16479 Dallas Parkway, Suite 570, Dallas TX 75248 (800) 523-9830; FAX (214) 248-7830.

New diagnostics include checks for compile-time objects such as macros, typedefs, and declarations. PC-lint reports compile-time objects not used, both locally and globally; it will also point out header files not used, externals that can be made static, and declarations that can be offloaded from header files.

These new diagnostics depend upon header files which have been designated "library". PC-lint doesn't expect library headers to be fully utilized, nor even defined. Version 4.0 also supports the notion of a lint object module which captures, in binary form, all the external information of a module or modules, allowing for incremental linting via a make file.

Version 4.0 includes seven new options to customize message suppression. UNIX-style options are also supported. Increased control over message format facilitates automatic filtering and processing (e.g. with an intelligent editor).

Newly added "Elective Notes", will warn the programmer about silent type conversions caused by prototypes. The new version can also warn about name clashes occuring within the first "count" characters, inner declarations that hide outer declarations, and format/type inconsistencies.

PC-lint runs under MS-DOS or OS/2 with a minimum of 196K. Price is $139. Contact Gimpel Software, 3207 Hogarth Lane, Collegeville, PA 19426 (215) 584-4261.

Microsoft claims that programs compiled with MSC 6.0 are typically seven to 10 percent smaller and 10 percent faster than with MSC 5.1.

Programmer's WorkBench is an integrated development environment with an open architecture. Taking a project-centered approach, it integrates the editor, Source Browser project database, build and add-on tools, and CodeView debugger. The environment, which is identical under both MS-DOS and OS/2, remembers details and settings between sessions.

Microsoft is publishing programming interfaces that will allow other vendors to offer tools that can seamlessly run in the Programmer's WorkBench environment. Sixty vendors have pledged to support MSC 6.0. (See accompanying story.)

The new source browser allows programmers to interactively browse through a project database, reviewing the relationships and use of variables, functions, definitions and macros.

The new release adds these language features:

Based Pointers. Microsoft says that this new type of pointer combines the flexibility of a 32-bit pointer with the size and speed advantages of a 16-bit pointer.

Register-based parameter passing. Programmers can now pass up to three parameters in registers.

In-line assembler. The accompanying release of CodeView v3.0 can reside in extended memory, using as little as 20K on a 286 or better. With the new version, programmers can dynamically record and replay debugging sessions, including all input. Because CodeView runs as part of Programmer's WorkBench, it automatically saves all breakpoints, watch windows and other settings between sessions.

MSC 6.0 requires MS-DOS v3.0 or higher or OS/2 v1.0 or higher and comes on both 5 1/4 and 3-1/2 in. disks. The package retails for $495; upgrades start at $125.

Geograf Level One supports 13 fonts, including Greek, variable line thickness and several line types. Plots from Geograf can be imported into any program that accepts HPGL-formatted files. The package includes device drivers for most graphics cards, dot matrix printers, inkjet printers, laser printers and pen plotters.

Price is $149. Geograf is also available for MS QuickBASIC and FORTRAN. Contact GeoComp Corporation, 66 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA 01742 (800) 822-2669; FAX (508) 369-4392.

· ImageSoft Inc. has released Glockenspiel C++ 2.0 to support the Programmers WorkBench environment. With this release, reference materials are available through Microsoft C advisor. The compiler also interfaces to the CodeView debugger to provide source-level debugging capabilities.

Contact ImageSoft Inc., 2 Haven Ave., Port Washington, NY 11050 (516) 767-2233; FAX (516) 767-9067.

· Blaise Computing Inc. has upgraded C Tools Plus and C Asynch Manager to be MSC 6.0 compatible.

The C Tools Plus library includes support for: virtual stackable menus and windows with mouse input; multiple virtual pop-up help screens; multiline input editing; EGA, VGA, and MCGA text modes; and enhanced keyboards. C Tools Plus/6.0 comes with source code and includes an on-line documentation database that works with Programmer's Work-Bench.

· C Asynch Manager/3.0 has been upgraded to add modem control and file transfer features. The new version supports multiple modems, 1K packets, CRC error checking, true Y-Modem, and auto switching to incoming packet size and error detection method. The file transfer routines now support background file transfers.

C Asyngh Manager is $189; C Tools Plus is $149. Contact Blaise Computing Inc., 2560 Ninth St., Suite 316, Berkeley, CA 94710 (415) 540-5441.

· Raima Corporation has released a new version of db_Vista III specifically for the MSC 6.0 environment. Raima reports that porting to MSC 6.0 reduced the code size of their Windows DLL by 10K and improved the speed of their DBMS by 18 percent.

The db_Vista III package implements a combined relational and network database model and includes an SQL query and report writer and database restructuring tools. Contact Raima Corporation, 3245 146th Place SE, Bellevue, WA 98007 (800) 327-2462.

· Systems & Software, Inc. has released C6toPROM, a programmer's workbench compatible linker and locator for embedded systems development with MSC 6.0. C6toPROM converts symbolic and debug information in C EXE files into ROMable Intel OMF86 modules. Programmers can also use C6toPROM to download programs to in-circuit emulators.

C6toPROM lists for $149. Contact Systems & Software, Inc. (714) 833-1700.

· Vermont Creative Software is shipping Vermont Views 2.0 with MSC compatible support for pull-down menus, window-based data-entry forms with tickertape and memo fields, scrollable form regions, choice lists, and content-sensitive help.

Vermont Views 2.0 is available for MSC 6.0, MSC 5.0/5.1 and Turbo C 2.0. Price is $495. UNIX, Xenix and VMS versions are scheduled for release in the second quarter.

Contact Vermont Views, Pinnacle Meadows, Richford, VT 05476 (802) 848-7731; FAX (802) 848-3502.

· Courseware Applications will upgrade its Chatterbox user interface library and Drawbridge graphics editor.

The Chatterbox library can be used to create pull-down menu bars and dialog boxes with both mouse and keyboard support. With Chatterbox, programmers can create custom menus that include graphics, icons, and custom dialog controls such as guages and switches.

The Drawbridge graphics editor includes both graphics and text editing capabilities. The package creates images by generating source-code calls to a graphics library. The new version of Drawbridge can be integrated with the Microsoft Programmer's WorkBench.

Chatterbox is $189; Drawbridge is $89. Contact Courseware Applications, 481 Devonshire, Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 359-1878; FAX (217) 359-1880.

· Creative Programming will upgrade their Vitimin C user-interface library, and will include support for the Microsoft C Advisor.

Vitamin C for both MS-DOS and OS/2 is supplied with source code and includes functions for overlapping windows, data-entry forms, menus, and context sensitive help. A companion product, VCScreen, automates the screen and menu design process. VSCcreen generates C source code that calls on the Vitamin C library.

Vitamin C for MS-DOS is $225; $345 for OS/2. Updates start at $25. Contact Creative Programming, Box 112097, Carrollton, TX 75011-2097 (214) 416-6447.

· Nu-Mega Technologies has announced a new product, Bounds-Checker, and an update to MagicCV, their CodeView enhancer. Both tools can be installed as menu items in the WorkBench environment.

Bounds-Checker uses the 80386 processor to detect any access to memory not owned by an application program. When a violation is detected, Bounds-Checker uses the symbolic information created by MSC to show the line that caused the memory fault.

MagicCV 3.0 adds support for MSC 6.0 and reduces the conventional memory requirements of CodeView to less than 8K. MagicCV includes: an EMS 4.0 driver with VCPI support; the ability to load high device drivers and resident programs; improved ability to debug large programs.

Bounds-Checker is $249; MagicCV 3.0 is $199. MagicCV can be updated for $49. Contact Nu-Mega Technologies, Box 7607, Nashua, NH 03060-7607 (603) 888-2386.

· Oakland Group, Inc. announced that release 3.2 of C-scape will be fully MSC 6.0 compatible. C-scape and the accompanying Look & Feel Screen Designer can be used to create data entry, menu, help and text screens with mouse support. The package can also be used to prototype and simulate screens, and, when the design is stable, to generate supporting C source.

Contact Oakland Group, Inc., 675 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (800) 233-3733.

· Paradigm Systems announced new versions of Locate and Inside. The MSC 6.0 version of Locate will include ROMable startup code for all memory models along with response files for producing ROMable subsets of the MSC 6.0 run-time libraries. Locate will support both MSC 6.0 and QuickC.

Inside is a performance analysis tool that supplies information about call target timing, event timing, stack usage and O.S. usage.

Locate is $295; upgrades start at $35. Inside is $125; upgrades $25. Contact Paradigm Systems, 258 Main Street, Suite 209, Milford, MA 01757 (508) 478-0499; FAX (508) 478-2032.

· Pocket Soft announced RTLink/Plus Release 3.1 with MSC 6.0 support, including CodeView support.

RTLink/Plus is an overlay linker that includes facilities to: profile performance, utilize caching, tune overlay structures, remove overlay restrictions on function pointers, support multi-language development.

RTLink/Plus is priced from $295 to $495. Contact Pocket Soft, Inc., 7676 Hillmont, Suite 195, Houston, TX 77040 (713) 460-5600; FAX (713) 460-2651.

· Sage Software, Inc., has announced that the Polytron Version Control System, PolyMake, and the System Professional Editor will all be upgraded to include support for Programmer's WorkBench (PWB). The editor will communicate with CodeView via PWB state files, allowing it to invoke CodeView and automatically display relevant source code when CodeView exits. The editor will also be able to rebuild applications based on the makefile defined in the PWB state file, and reinvoke CodeView to complete the edit/debug cycle. Sage intends for a future release of the editor to also incorporate the Microsoft help engine.

Prices are: PVCS for MS-DOS $495; PolyMake for MS-DOS $199; Sage Professional Editor for MS-DOS and OS/2 $295. Contact Sage Software, Inc., 1700 NW 167th Place, Beaverton, OR 97068 (800) 547-4000; FAX (503) 645-4576.