Microsoft began recently shipping its QuickPascal Compiler, a Pascal implementation that the company claims is Turbo Pascal source-code compatible. The compiler is built around Microsoft's Quick-family technology (an integrated compiler/editor/debugger environment) while further supporting object-oriented extensions as defined by Object Pascal.
QuickPascal (QP) provides a window-based editor that supports multiple views into a source file or simultaneous editing of multiple files. Windows can be resized and overlap with up to nine text-editing windows opened at one time. QP also provides mouse support. The QP debugger supports single-stepping into and around procedures and object methods. Microsoft claims that QP is the first Pascal compiler to support integrated debugging of assembler routines from within the environment, allowing the display and modification of CPU registers and flags. Like other Quick-family compilers, QP offers on-line hypertext reference for context-sensitive help.
QP uses four non-standard Pascal key words: the object-oriented extensions of Object, Override, and Inherited and the non-OPP keyword Cstring. (Note that the four keywords new to Turbo Pascal 5.5 are different.) Except for the BGI, QP is 100 percent compatible with Turbo Pascal; QP does have its own graphics library that mimics the BGI. QP requires 512K of memory and DOS 2.1 or higher and retails for $99.
In conjunction with Microsoft's QP announcement, several developers announced third-party support. Turbo-Power Software says its Turbo Professional 5.0 (a library of general purpose procedures and functions) and B-Tree Filer 5.0 (database-related procedures) are QP-compatible. Likewise, Blaise Computing said that its Power Tools Plus 5.0 (general-purpose library of interrupt and screen control procedures), Asynch Plus (communications routines), and Power Screen (screen management library) also supports QP. Reader Service No. 20.
Microsoft Corporation 16011 NE 36th Way Box 97017 Redmond, WA 98073-9717 206-882-8080
The recently announced Intel 80486 is essentially a souped-up 80386, delivering 2X-5X the performance at equivalent MHz. To support on-chip cache and multiprocessing, the 486 has six new instructions, otherwise the 486 is chiefly a tweak of the 386. According to Intel, the company studied all available pure-386 software and optimized the most often-used instructions to make them one-cyclers to boost performance. The 486 has an on-chip 80387 and cache memory/control with 8K and five-level pipelining. Intel has working silicon and expects production quantities by fall of this year. The first 486 machines, which should be available by winter, are expected to be file/database servers and other high-performance boxes.
At the same time, Intel announced a C compiler for the 486 (along with other software development tools), a 386SX, a low-power-consumption chip for laptops that increases battery life by 30 percent and 33-MHz 80386 availability. Other announcements included a 32-bit LAN coprocessor, EISA and MCA chip sets, and a new programmable logic device.
Initial pricing for the 80486 will be $950, which is about $50 more than the cost of a 80386, 80387, and supporting chips. Intel hinted about a price drop in the 386 but didn't say when. The 486 is 100 percent binary compatible with all previous Intel CPUs. Reader Service No. 23.
Intel Corporation 3065 Bowers Ave. Santa Clara, CA 95052-8065
A new set of routines designed to help in the development of user-interfaces has been released by Maxx Data Systems Inc. The routines, called Creative Interface Tools, allow programmers who use any of Borland's Turbo languages (C, Pascal, Basic, and Prolog) to create bit-mapped screen fonts, bit-mapped icons, graphic mouse cursors, and multi-level menus. Among the specific tools are a Graphic Symbol Designer, Menu System, and Keyboard Processor with mouse support. The complete package sells for $69.95. Reader Service No. 22.
Maxx Data Systems, Inc. 1126 S. Cedar Ridge, Ste. 115 Duncanville, TX 75137
Logitech Inc., a company usually associated with mice and Modula-2, has started shipping a sophisticated source-level debugger for OS/2 environments named the MultiScope Debugger. The program allows you to debug programs written in Microsoft C, Pascal, MASM, Logitech Modula-2, and IBM C/2, Pascal/2, and Macro Assembler/2. You can use MultiScope under either Presentation Manager or OS/2 text mode and debug at run-time (using conditional or unconditional breakpoints and memory or symbolic watchdogs to monitor program execution) or in a post-mortem mode (to examine programs after a run-time error).
One of MultiScope's unique features is a graphical representation of a program's data structure. This lets you explore dynamically allocated data structures and their internal relationships. The debugger also allows you to look at your program from 13 different simultaneous views, including views from the perspective of the source, data, memory, register, threads, breakpoints, and so on. The debugger lets you evaluate expression, execute function calls, debug child processes and dynamic link libraries, and perform remote debugging. Although DDJ editors have not yet had the opportunity to perform hands-on testing of the debugger, the demonstration provided for us was very impressive. The debugger sells for $299. Reader Service No. 25.
Logitech, Inc. 6505 Kaiser Dr. Fremont, CA 94555
PHIGS is available on PCs with the release of Template Graphics Software's Figaro/386. Figaro/386 is a version of its Figaro graphics software designed for 80386-based PCs. The Figaro/386 offers standard PHIGS (Programmer's Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System) features such as hierarchical data structures, geometric modeling, and interactive input. The Figaro toolset gives programmers the ability to render and update 2-D and 3-D graphics objects in one or more views, deal with trivial and incremental updates to the display, and to develop programs that use advanced input functions (full event input, programmable triggers, and soft input devices like screen buttons and sliders). To use the Figaro system, developers simply relink their applications to a resident Figaro library. Figaro/386 sells for $1,595. Reader Service No. 26.
Template Graphics Software 9685 Scranton Rd. San Diego, CA 92121-9810
Fortran programmers may find a new publication, The Fortran Journal, of particular interest. According to editor Walt Brainerd, the journal contains articles about people and organization involved with Fortran, product announcements, product reviews, book reviews, programming hints and routines, and reports on Fortran 88. The Fortran Journal is published six times per year at the subscription rate of $28/year in the US and $36 elsewhere. Reader Service No. 27.
Fortran Users Group P.O. Box 4201 Fullerton, CA 92634
The Open Software Foundation (OSF) has released to its membership for review a complete set of specifications and plans for its OSF/1 offering, which combines the OSF operating system and OSF/Motif. (See "The OSF Windowing System" by Kee Hinckley, DDJ, March 1989.) The operating system architecture provides a portable and interoperable applications platform that supports industry standards and specifications such as POSIX and the X/Open Portability Guide 3. And it provides a smooth upgrade path, allowing for the addition of extensions with minimal disruption to the existing kernel. OSF is waiting for member feedback on the specifications before it prepares the final version, which will be released in four stages: The Vendor Kit, the Application Kit, the University Platform, and the Commercial Platform. The OSF is an international, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the development and delivery of an open, portable software environment. Reader Service No. 32.
Open Software Foundation 11 Cambridge Center Cambridge, MA 02142
XVT, a cross-platform software development tool that allows programmers to develop and maintain one set of application source code, now supports Presentation Manager in addition to Windows and the Macintosh. (For an in-depth description of XVT, see "The Portability Dream" by Margaret Johnson, DDJ, March, 1989.) Also, XVT (which is short for "Extensible Virtual Toolkit,") is now available from Graphic Software Systems. The tool creates 100 percent portability between the three graphical user-interface environments. Additionally, the XVT enhances programmer productivity because of the increased capacity for native toolkit calls and programming details. We recently spent some more hands-on time with XVT and continue to be impressed with this package. The XVT version for Windows supports the Microsoft Windows/286 and Windows/386 software development kits (SDKs), including Microsoft C. XVT for Presentation Manager supports Microsoft C and the Microsoft or IBM OS/2 1.1 Toolkits. XVT for Macintosh supports Think C or the MPW compiler. A Unix-based X Window System version is planned for later this year. Each package costs $595. Reader Service No. 31.
Graphic Software Systems 9590 SW Gemini Drive Beaverton, OR 97005 503-641-2200
Alcyon Corporation has announced that its new software development utilities package, the Regulus-386 Tool-Kit, fully automates the management of 80386-based real-time applications software development. The Regulus-386 Tool-Kit supposedly brings most Unix System V utilities to Alcyon's Regulus-386 operating system, a real-time Unix-compatible operating system for the 80386. This means PC-based real-time application developers can take advantage of the standard Unix tools to speed up the program development cycle. The Tool-Kit provides such utilities as: source code control system, make, vi screen editor, Bourne shell, C shell, and more. The cost is $800. Perpetual upgrades are available at additional cost. Reader Service No. 30.
Alcyon Corporation 6888 Nancy Ridge Drive San Diego, CA 92121 800-748-5858 619-587-9968 (from inside California)
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