OF INTEREST

Drag-it, a Visual C++ add-on class library from Performix, allows Windows programmers to incorporate drag-and-drop functionality into Visual C++ applications. Drag-it includes a class library, starter files, a "builder," and a sample application. You use the builder to draw or import bitmap symbols, then place them on the palette. Drag-it sells for $495.00. Reader service no. 20.

6618 Daryn Drive

Westhills, CA 91307

Repository Technologies has announced an interface between its ControlFirst system (CFS) and Intersolv's PVCS source-code version-control system. CFS provides problem tracking, work-flow management, and release control for software-development sites. For its part, PVCS is a configuration- management tool that tracks changes to components of a software system.

CFS provides a central repository for all information related to software changes during the development process. With CFS, you can GET and PUT source-code modules associated with a given problem. All PVCS locking/unlocking features are also accessible. A file-server version of CFS sells for $895.00. Reader service no. 21.

Repository Technologies Inc.

6825 Hobson Valley Drive, Suite 201

Woodridge, IL 60517

VGA Animate 2.0, a set of C language tools for DOS-based graphics animation from Nexus Software, uses the undocumented page-switching Mode X to achieve high-speed, flicker-free animation. Mode X, which is available on all VGA/SVGA cards and provides page-flipping and off-screen image storage, was examined extensively by Michael Abrash in his "Graphics Programming" column (DDJ, July and August, 1991).

VGA Animate 2.0 includes over 130 functions for creating and animating images. It supports PCX and FLI file formats and is compatible with Microsoft and Borland C compilers. The royalty-free toolkit sells for $39.00 without source code, and $79.00 with source. Reader service no. 22.

P.O. Box 341126

Milwaukee, WI 53234-1126

The HyperBase Tool Box from Amzi! makes it possible for you to integrate hypertext and Prolog code to create interactive documents. HyperBase allows Prolog code to be "attached" to hypertext buttons or pages. The Tool Box runs under Cogent Prolog and contains full source code for all modules and programs, including the hyperdocument developer and reader, encoder/sealer, and PCX utilities.

Existing Cogent Prolog 2.0 users can buy the HyperBase Tool Box for $129.00. The complete Cogent Prolog development system, including a royalty-free run-time license, sells for $377.00. Reader service no. 23.

40 Samuel Prescott Drive

Graphics Gems IV, edited by Paul Heckbert and published by AP Professional, is the latest in the series of what really are gems for graphics programmers. This edition includes coverage of topics such as polygons and polyhedra, ray tracing, shading, image processing, frame buffering, transformations, and more. In addition to background information, algorithms, and performance analysis, each selection also includes C source-code implementations. The $49.95 hardcover book comes with an MS-DOS or Macintosh 3.5-inch disk containing source code from all four volumes of the series. ISBN 0-12-336155-9. Reader service no. 24.

AP Professional

6277 Sea Harbor Drive

Orlando, FL 32887

Microsoft has released TCP/IP and data- link control (DLC) protocol support for Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Microsoft's TCP/IP product allows IP-based connectivity to Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server, as well as UNIX-based LANs and wide-area networks. The TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups includes support for the Windows Sockets API.

Microsoft DLC for Windows for Workgroups allows Windows for Workgroups-based PCs to operate in IBM SNA environments and to connect to mainframes and minicomputers, such as the AS/400. The DLC and TCP/IP tools make it possible for Windows for Workgroups-based systems to support networking protocols including TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, and NetBEUI, and run seamlessly on networks such as Windows NT Advanced Server, Novell NetWare, Banyan Vines, DEC Pathworks, and SunSelect PC-NFS. Both TCP/IP and DLC for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 can be downloaded at no charge from the Microsoft Download Service (206-936-6735), CompuServe (GO MSCLIENT), and the Internet (ftp.microsoft.com/advsys/msclient/wfw). Reader service no. 25.

Microsoft Corp.

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052-6399

IXI, a subsidiary of the Santa Cruz Operation, has begun shipping the Wintif Developer's Pack, which provides a Windows look-and-feel to UNIX applications. Wintif will be provided free of charge with the next upgrade of Premier Motif, IXI's upgraded OSF/Motif developer's toolkit. The pack will be available initially for SunOS and Solaris platforms, with support for SCO Open Desktop, thereafter. Future versions of Wintif will support Microsoft's OLE 2.0 and other key interchange formats already supported by Windows applications. IXI's Wintif technology currently complies with OSF/Motif 1.2., XPG4, X11R5, and the Microsoft Windows 3.1 style guide. Reader service no. 26.

400 Encino Street

Santa Cruz, CA 95061

Swim, an OSF/Motif 1.2.3 run-time and development system, has been released by Sequoia International. Swim runs on a variety of UNIX platforms including Coherent 4.2 (in fact, Swim is the first Motif-compatible implementation for Coherent), Linux 0.99, BSD/386 1.x, FreeBSD 1.0.2, and NetBSD 0.9.

Swim includes: an mwm, the window manager; a shared library, including libXm (Linux only); static libraries, libXm, libMrm, and libUil; header and include files; online manual pages; source code for OSF/Motif demo programs (drag-and-drop, clipboard, periodic table, text editor, and more); and the OSF/Motif user's guide. Swim sells for $149.95. Reader service no. 27.

Sequoia International Inc.

600 West Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 300

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

A suite of tools for developers of client/

server applications for wireless data networks, such as RAM Mobile Data and ARDIS, has been announced by Client Server Technologies. Central to the

MECCA (short for "Mobile Empowered Collaborative Computing Architectures") toolset is AirClient, which contains Windows DLLs required by RAM Mobile and ARDIS. Any app which supports an external C call can be MECCA-enabled for wireless communication using AirClient. The tool also includes file-transfer utilities and support for several DOS commands. Other components of the MECCA toolkit include the yet-to-be-released AirServer and MECCA/LAN which will enable RF and cellular wireless apps for NetWare- and UNIX-based servers. The first release of the MECCA toolkit supports the following GUIs: Paradox for Windows, Visual Basic, Powerbuilder, and Gupta's SQL Windows.

An AirClient license costs $199.00 per PC, plus $495.00 for each GUI-specific MECCA toolkit. A technical white paper discussing wireless communication is available free of charge from Client Server. Reader service no. 28.

Client Server Technologies Inc.

1920 North Thoreau Drive, Suite 122

Schaumburg, IL 60173

RJSwantek has released Dis Doc for Windows, a Windows version of its venerable Dis Doc disassembler. With Dis Doc for Windows, you can disassemble Windows, OS/2, OBJ, EXE, COM, and BIOS files. At the same time, the company announced that it has upgraded its Dis Doc Professional for DOS disassembler to disassemble Pentium-specific programs. Dis Doc for Windows sells for $299.00, while Dis Doc Professional for DOS sells for $249.00. Reader service no. 29.

33 Spencer Brook Rd.

New Hartford, CT 06057

The SoftwareWedge from T.A.L. Enterprises lets you add two-way serial I/O capabilities to any DOS, Windows, OS/2, or NT application. The tool also provides the ability to parse and filter incoming data and add keystrokes and date/time stamps. The Windows version of the tool supports DDE, letting you place serial I/O buffers directly in other Windows or OS/2 apps.

SoftWedge Professional for DOS sells for $295.00, while Softwedge for Windows sells for $395.00. Reader service no. 30.

T.A.L. Enterprises

2022 Wallace Street

Philadelphia, PA 19130

LOOX 2.0, from LOOX Software, is an

object-oriented development tool for creating GUIs for UNIX programs. With LOOX, you create a graphic representation of any object with which the user must interact using LOOXMaker, a

vector-based drawing program for creating diagrams, schematics, toolboxes, animation sequences, and the like. Then, with LOOX-lib, a vector-based C-function library (with more than 200 functions), you build LOOXMaker-created objects into apps. LOOX is compatible with most UNIX systems, including those from Sun, HP, IBM, SGI, DEC, and SCO. LOOX is integrated with OSF/Motif and the X Window System. The LOOX graphics development system sells for $9950.00. Reader service no. 31.

LOOX Software Inc.

151 South Bernardo Ave., Suite 45

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Together/C++ for Windows is an object-oriented modeling and programming environment which automatically and simultaneously updates an application's object model and code. Together/C++, which was developed by Object International, lets you edit in either an object-modeling window or a C++ programming window, which are displayed side-by-side. The tool then keeps the two continuously in sync with each other. Together/C++ includes a full C++ parser to catch syntax problems, configuration management for team programming, and an SQL-generation tool for building relational tables from object-modeling results. Together/C++ for Windows sells for $4400.00. Reader service no. 32.

Object International Inc.

8140 N. MoPac 4-200

Austin, TX 78759

A book/CD-ROM combination entitled, Cross-Platform Power Tools, by Steve Petrucci, has been released by Random House Electronic Publishing. The book is based on XPLib, a set of libraries for Macintosh, Windows 3.1, and Windows NT developers. The libraries include an API with over 300 functions for checking and converting characters: managing events; dialogs; and menus; controlling fonts, text output, and more. The CD-ROM also includes utility and debugging functions, as well as sample programs. In the book, Petrucci discusses aspects of cross-platform development ranging from managing memory to printing between platforms. ISBN 0-679-79147-7. The 432 page book sells for $55.00. Reader service no. 33.

Electronic Publishing

PC Media, a DSP-based approach to incorporating sound, speech, video, and other multimedia capabilities into one system (thereby eliminating the need for multiple add-in cards), has been announced by Motorola. The system is based on a speech-compression technology called "Truespeech," that was developed by the DSP Group and licensed to Motorola for PC Media. System designers can get Truespeech driver software from either Motorola or the DSP Group.

Truespeech compresses a 1-minute voice file down to 60 Kbytes without noticeable degradation. This compression is suitable for voice mail, voice annotation, dictation, and the like. The compression scheme is based on algorithms derived from the way airflow from our lungs is shaped by the throat, mouth, and tongue when we speak. The DSP Group claims that its approach is 5 to 15 times more efficient than other methods of digital voice storage. Reader service no. 34.

2855 Kifer Road, Suite 200

Santa Clara, CA 95051

Microcontroller Technologies Group

6501 William Cannon Drive

Austin, TX 78735

The KIPP ImageControl toolset (from Kofax Image Products) is a suite of object-oriented, imaging development tools for Visual Basic and Visual C++ developers who need to add imaging capabilities to applications or building new Windows-based imaging apps. The KIPP (short for "Kofax Image Processing Platform") drag-and-drop tools enable scanning and displaying, image deskewing for OCR, text annotation, bar-code recognition, and the like.

When using the tools, you simply drop the appropriate image-control icon (such as scanner control) into the programming workspace. You can also customize the control settings through the Visual Basic properties interface. The KIPP suite supports any Windows-compatible display and includes a royalty-free software decompression engine with built-in Cornerstone ImageAccell support. KIPP sells for $1495.00. Reader service no. 35.

Kofax Image Products

3 Jenner Street

Irvine, CA 92718

Copyright © 1994, Dr. Dobb's Journal