VIP-C 1.5 provides a programming environment with pre-coded functions, integrated resource editors, and a Dispatcher-based application framework. Using VIP-C, programmers can work bottom-up, developing a standard Macintosh interface and write specific algorithms to link automatically generated interface code to particular program functions. VIP-C also integrates five levels of aid including: a visual C text editor/interpreter/debugger, prototypes of 3,800 Macintosh toolbox calls, 540 VIP-C functions, VIP-C resource editors, and the VIP-C Dispatcher-based application framework.

Other features of VIP-C 1.5 include: selectable functions in a customizable palette, a library of standard C functions, and the ability to write custom VIP-C function libraries. VIP-C also comes with a royalty-free runtime module for creating stand-alone, double-clickable applications. Power Macintosh native applications created with VIP-C can be as small as 10K. Full source code for the higher-level functions and Dispatcher-based application framework is provided. VIP-C projects can also be compiled using hot links to Symantec Corporation's Think C 7.0, Apple Computer's MPW, and Metrowerks' Code Warrior.

VIP-C is priced at $495. The upgrade price is $50 to registered users. For more information contact Mainstay, 591-A Constitution Ave., Camarillo, CA 93012, (805) 484-9400; FAX: (805) 484-9428; AOL: MAINSTAY 1; CompuServe: 76004,1525; AppleLink: D0397.

The configurable Project Manager lets users access and edit windows, dialog boxes, toolbars, icons, cursors, bitmaps, and source code. Three floating palettes, the Toolbox, the Property Sheet, and Color and Font Palette make design options available to the developer. The Toolbox lets users drag and drop resources and controls into the application. The Property Sheet lets users access the controls and set their styles, characteristics, and event options. The Color and Font Palette lets users set colors and fonts for any control from one place.

WinMaker Pro also supports VBX controls, the Multimedia Extended Functionality Module (EFM), and the creation of application templates. With the Multimedia EFM, developers can integrate multimedia into their Windows applications. The EFM supports .AVI files for digital video and .WAV for sound and voice. EFM includes the Video for Windows 1.1 runtime. Other features of WinMaker Pro include: QuickRun Technology, a Code Window, TrueCode Technology, automatic code generation that can be compiled into 16- or 32-bit applications, device-independent graphical buttons, and context-sensitive SmartMenus.

WinMaker Pro supports Windows and Windows NT compilers, including Microsoft Visual C++, Borland C++, Symantec C++, and Watcom C/C++. WinMaker Pro 6.0, including the three Switch-It Code Generation Modules, is priced at $995. Registered users of WindowsMAKER 5 can upgrade for $199. For more information contact Blue Sky Software Corp., 7486 La Jolla Blvd., Suite 3, La Jolla, CA 92037, (800) 677-4946 or (619) 459-6365; FAX: (619) 459-6366.

International features of Zinc 4.0 include support for both single-byte (ISO) and double-byte (Unicode) character sets. In addition the library provides default string translation for 12 languages and supports 18 locales. Zinc 4.0 also includes a visual design tool featuring a software bus architecture which is fully extensible by the user. Zinc Designer runs on every platform supported by Zinc 4.0 and comes in both single-byte and double-byte versions to facilitate localizing. Other features of Zinc 4.0 include geometry management, drag and drop, printing support, and table, notebook, and status bar controls.

Zinc 4.0 supports Chicago, Power Macintosh, DESQveiw/X, QNX, NeXtStep, DOS Text and DOS Graphics, Win16, Win32, Windows NT, IBM OS/2, Apple Macintosh, Sun OS, Solaris, X-86, HP-UX, AIX, OSF/1, IRIX, SCO, and Curses. The Zinc 4.0 Application Framework Engine is priced at $499. Keys range in price from $299 to $4,999 depending on platform. The engine and at least one key are required for the Framework. For more information contact Zinc Software Incorporated, 405 South 100 East, 2nd Floor, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062, (801) 785-8900; FAX: (801) 785-8996; BBS: (801) 785-8997; Internet: info@zinc.com; CompuServe: GO ZINC.

According to their announcement, with DCI technology, a PC running Windows and equipped with a standard VGA display adapter can playback at frame rates up to 50% faster than previously possible. This increase is achieve by providing a data path from the software video driver to the graphics display subsystem and frame buffer. The DCI specification also defines a method to access the advanced video and graphics features designed into the latest generation of graphics controllers. These features include color space conversion, image clipping, filtering and scaling, and chroma keying. Any Video for Windows installable codec, such as Intel's Indeo video and Microsoft's Video 1, is supported by the DCI specification.

The DCI specification is provided as a supplement to the Video for Windows 1.1 Developers Kit. The DCI specification will be supported in future releases of the Windows Driver Development Kit and in a future release of Microsoft Windows. Graphics and hardware vendors using the DCI specification will be able to distribute the runtime modules with their products royalty free.

The DCI Developer's Kit is available free of charge to qualified graphics hardware vendors. For more information contact Intel's Multimedia Software Technology Group, dci-ihv@ibeam.intel.com or Microsoft's Developer Relations Group, dci-ihv@microsoft.com.

The VERSANT C++ Application ToolSet 3.0 consists of three components: VERSANT Object SQL, VERSANT Screen, and VERSANT Report. The first component, VERSANT Object SQL, merges the query and update capabilities of standard SQL with object manipulation to support decision support and analysis for object databases. The second component, VERSANT Screen, supports building graphical applications by including a C++-based scripting language. The third component, VERSANT Report, is an end-user graphical report writer for customized reporting.

The VERSANT C++ Application ToolSet 3.0 supports Sun SPARC workstations. According to the company, support for HP series 700/800, IBM Power and RS 6000, DEC Alpha, SGI, and Microsoft NT will follow. Prices for The VERSANT C++ Application ToolSet 3.0 start at $600 per seat. The ToolSet 3.0 is available at no charge to supported customers. For more information contact Versant Object Technology, 1380 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025, (415) 329-7500; FAX: (415) 325-2380.

According to Intellicorp, OMW delivers an evolutionary prototyping and rapid iterative application development style which results in exceptional developer productivity and application quality. In addition, OMW diagrams and models are live and executable. Based on the Martin/Odell Object-Oriented Information Engineering methodology, OMW can be used with Kappa, IntelliCorp' s object-oriented visual programming environment. Resulting applications can access SQL databases including: Informix, Oracle, Sybase, and Ingres. OMW uses SUN and HP workstations for development, and targets UNIX and Windows for delivery.

OMW 1.1 is priced at $10,995 for a single license, with a diagram-only version priced at $6,000. For more information contact IntelliCorp, 1975 El Camino Real West, Suite 101, Mountain View, CA 94040, (415) 965-5500; FAX (415)965-5647.

Features of Vermont Text v2.0 for DOS include a scripting language which allows for special test customization such as executing scripts in a loop, calling subscripts, and DOS file operations. Additional record and playback options were added including a real-time toggle option. Version 2.0 includes mouse support in addition to keystroke detection, so mouse events can be recorded and played back.

Vermont Test can be applied to applications written in C, BASIC, Pascal, FORTRAN, dBASE, Clipper, FoxPro, Oracle, and other 4GLs, and programs that redirect standard input. Vermont Test v2.0 requires no additional hardware, uses 16Kb of memory which may be loaded high, requires PCDOS v3.0 or above, and is available on a 3.5" disk. Vermont Test v2.0 is priced at $395. For more information contact Vermont Creative Software, 1 Pinnacle Meadows, Richford, VT 05476, (802) 848-7731; FAX: (802)848-3502.

CSIM 17, an upgraded version of CSIM, includes: synchronous facilities and storage techniques which let the user model components that operate in a synchronous (clocked) manner; timed operations which let the user model requests for resources where the request has a time limit, random number streams, and moving window averages. Another feature of CSIM 17 is the revised User Guide with examples of CSIM programs.

CSIM 17 supports UNIX workstations, including DEC Alpha (OSF/1)and SUN Solaris, and PC with Windows (Borland C/C++ 3.1 and Turbo C/C++ 3.0 for Windows). CSIM 17 is priced under $500. Training classes, consulting services, and support for older versions of CSIM are also available. For more information contact Mesquite Software Inc., 8920 Business Park Dr., Austin, TX 78759, (800) 538-9153 or (512) 338-9153; FAX: (512) 794-9997; E-mail: hds@zilker.net.

Track Record keeps track of ongoing work on a project: bugs to be fixed, program sections to be documented, technical support issues, and relationships between project sections. Track Record also automatically keeps a history of the project, building an interconnected "web" of information in its database. This database contains a history of the project much like a version control system keeps a history of program file changes. At any time, developers can use Track Record's dynamic object-oriented database engine to see the work that has been done on a particular section of the project, by a particular developer, or by any other criteria.

Track Record Version 1.5 is priced at $159 per user, either stand-alone or networked. For more information contact UnderWare, Inc., 321 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02116, (800) 343-7308 or (617) 267-9743.

Graphical Designer supports Sun OS and Solaris, HP-UX, and IRIX. Graphical Designer is priced at $4,999 for the first seat and drops to $999 after the sixth seat. For more information contact Advance Software Technologies, Inc., 7800 S. Elati St., Suite 300, Littleton, CO 80120, (303) 730-7981; FAX: (303) 730 7983.

The Diab compiler suite gives the programmer control over the allocation of code and data in memory and the ability to mix assembler and C functions. The Diab Data compiler suite includes the compiler, a program profiler, assembler, linker, archiver, and ANSI-compliant libraries. Other features of the Diab compiler suite include packed structures, exception handling, and stack probing. Also file I/O function are implemented as a RAM disk for bare board targets, and libraries are re-entrant.

SingleStep/PowerPC is priced at $1,500 for a single-user license. For more information contact Software Development Systems, 815 Commerce Dr., Suite 250, Oak Brook, IL 60521, (708) 368-0400; FAX: (708) 990-4641; E-mail: corp@sdsi.com.

The CDdeManager class manages communication with the DDEML, while subclasses of CDdeItem provide concurrent client/server capability for the following data types: CDdeFloat for floats, CDdeDouble for doubles, CDdeInt for integers, CDdeLong for longs, CDdeChar for char or byte data of any type, CDdeString for Cstring objects, and CDdeObject for Microsoft Foundation Class CObject, which supports serialization.

According to the company, the classes will be extended to support DDE command strings and the OLE 2.01 IDataObj interface, providing a bridge between OLE and DDE for applications which must support both. CDdeManager and CDdeItem are priced at $149, which includes source code. There are no royalties. For more information contact Resource Concepts, Inc., 111 W. First St., Suite 748, Dayton, OH 45402, (513) 461-4606; FAX (513) 461-7908.

Features of VGA Animate GDK 2.0 include: 130 image creation and animation functions; 320x240 resolution; 256 colors; a tool set for drawing, displaying, and animating images; PCX file format; font editing; sound and timing functions; special effect functions; palette manipulation functions; mouse and joystick support; and cross-reference documentation. Other features of VGA Animate GDK include: commented video game source code, a Game Developer's Manual, and routines for mixing sound with animation.

VGA Animate GDK 2.0 supports Microsoft and Borland C compilers. VGA Animate GDK 2.0 is priced at $109 which includes source code and is royalty-free. A demo disk that contains the video game Dungeon Raider and a general library demo is available. For more information contact NEXUS Software, P.O. Box 341126, Milwaukee, WI 53234, (414) 662-0737; FAX: (414) 536-7340; Internet: NexusSW@aol.com.

Better State Pro V2.0 supports PC compatibles running Windows 3.x. BetterState Pro V2.0 is priced at $495 with users choice of C/C++, Verilog HDL, or VHDL code generator. Additional code generators are price at $99. For more information contact R-Active Concepts, 20654 Gardenside Circle, Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 252-2808.

In addition, Rogue Wave has acquired the C++ Booch Components, a library of reusable classes in C++ code, from Grady Booch, chief scientist at Rational. Rational will continue to distribute the C++ Booch Components and Rogue Wave will support, maintain, and enhance the C++ Booch Components.

For more information contact Rogue Wave Software, P.O. Box 2328, Corvallis, OR 97339, (503) 754-3010; FAX: (503) 757-6650 or Rational Software Corporation, 2800 San Tomas Expressway, Santa Clara, CA 95051, (800) 767-3237 or (408) 496-3600; FAX: (408) 496-3636; E-mail: product_info@rational.com.

Prices for SourceSafe 3.0 start at $295 for a single-user Windows-only license. Multi-user and multi-platform licenses are also available. For more information contact One Tree Software, P.O. Box 11639, Raleigh, NC 27604, (919) 821-2300; FAX: (919) 821-5222; CompuServe: 72662,744.

Features of RimStar Programmer's Editor V2.1 include: syntax coloring,a hex editing mode, a C macro language, a C Source Browser, keystroke macro recording, smart indenting, bookmarks, and configurable keyboard mappings. Also, macros programmed in the C macro language are portable across both the Windows and OS/2 versions.

RimStar Programmer's Editor Version 2.1 for OS/2 is priced at $299 and the Windows and Windows NT version is priced at $199. For more information contact RimStar Technology, Inc., 91 Halls Mill Rd., Newfields, NH 03856, (603) 778-2500; FAX: (603) 778-2408.

The Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine with ANSI C source code is priced at $599. The binary form of the Sentry Spelling-Checker Engine is priced at $99 for DOS and $169 for Windows. Each package includes American and British English dictionaries. Dictionaries in other languages are priced at $199. There are no royalties or runtime fees. For more information contact Wintertree Software Inc., 43 Rueter St., Nepean, Ontario, Canada K2J 3Z9, (613) 825-6271; FAX: (613) 825-5521.

Async Professional For C/C++ 2.0 is priced at $249 and includes source code. Registered owners of version 1.x can upgrade for $79. There are no royalties. For more information contact TurboPower Software, P.O. Box 49009, Colorado Springs, CO 80949, (800) 333-4160 or (719) 260-6641; FAX: (719) 260-7151.