Dr. Dobb's Journal August 1997
BlueWater Systems released WinDK Device Driver Development Kit 2.0 with a new Device Driver Wizard and an enhanced class library. The new Device Driver Wizard creates hundreds of lines of driver code from driver specifications. The Wizard handles driver implementation issues like cancel routines, clean-up, multiprocessor-safe SpinLocks, IRP queuing, and DMA channel allocations. The price for the full WinDK 2.0 Device Driver Development Kit for Windows NT 4.0 is $595.00 (plus $200.00 for optional library source code). The kit runs on NT 4.0 or 3.51, Intel, Alpha, MIPS, or PowerPC, and Microsoft Visual C++ 4.x/5.0. The WinDK Device Driver Wizard is available for free download at BlueWater's web site.
BlueWater Systems Inc.
190 W. Dayton
Edmonds, WA 98020
206-771-3610
http://www.bluewatersystems.com/
Borland has announced Delphi 3 Client/Server Suite, a new version of its Windows rapid applications development tool. Delphi 3 contains over 50 new technologies, including support for Borland's new MIDAS Multi-tier Distributed Application Services Suite, Internet enhancements, ActiveX control creation, and integrated decision support tools. Borland is also shipping Delphi 3 Standard for beginning Windows programmers and Delphi 3 Professional for experienced individual developers. The estimated street prices for Delphi 3 Client/Server Suite is $1999.00, for Delphi 3 Professional $799.00, and for Delphi 3 Standard $99.95. Pricing for MIDAS is extra.
Borland International Inc.
100 Borland Way
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
408-431-1000
http://www.borland.com/
Galapagos Software is shipping Adaptive Object Storage 1.0 (AOS), an object storage application that lets C++ programmers create collections of objects and flexible linking between those objects. AOS is designed for small- to medium-sized object storage programming. It supports collections of values and bidirectional linking between these collections, allows information to be organized based on inclusion in a category and on a specified time period, and allows users to build a hierarchy while performing a search or organizing information. Adaptive Object Storage 1.0 is available for Windows 95/NT. AOS has a list price of $300.00, and is available from Galapagos Software's web site.
Galapagos Software Inc.
1042 E. Fort Union, #265
Midvale, UT 84047
801-256-0184
http://www.Galapagos1.com/
WexTech Systems released AnswerWorks, a tool that lets you add a natural-language interface to Windows online Help. AnswerWorks lets online Help users get answers to questions phrased in everyday language. AnswerWorks' index building engine parses a Help system and creates a linguistic image that describes the content of every sentence, storing words in root form along with information regarding their syntactical use. The AnswerWorks development system provides an authoring wizard and four predefined end-user interfaces (including ones that look like Microsoft's AnswerWizard and Corel's PerfectExpert), and includes an OLE Automation API that allows developers to create custom interfaces.
AnswerWorks supports English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch for all Windows 3.1/95/NT Help systems, and works with Help authoring tools including Doc-To-Help, Documentation Studio, RoboHELP, ForeHelp, and HDK. The AnswerWorks development system is free and can be downloaded from WexTech's web site. Authors who want to include AnswerWorks technology with their product or system must purchase a separate license for each product and for each language. Licenses cost $795.00.
WexTech Systems Inc.
310 Madison Avenue, Suite 905
New York, NY 10017
212-949-9595
http://www.wextech.com/
Lead Technologies has added new functionality to its LeadTOOLS Pro Express imaging toolkit. The tool now features rapid 256-shade Scale-to-Gray, Favor Black, despeckle, deskew, and region-of-interest processing. LeadTools Pro Express has also incorporated fast compression/decompression of multipage TIFF and CCITT G3/G4 documents, optional compression of images in memory, built-in annotation capabilities, Dicom medical imaging support, and a variety of new features for Internet-related document imaging. These include Internet enablement of ActiveX controls, a Feed/Load function to display image data as it is being transmitted, and plug-ins that allow Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer to read LeadTools images.
LeadTools Pro Express contains both a 16- and 32-bit development environment for applications developed in Windows 3.x/95/NT. The toolkit is available for $1995.00. Custom versions for UNIX and Macintosh are available by special arrangement.
Lead Technologies Inc.
900 Baxter Street, Suite 103
Charlotte, NC 28204
704-332-5532
http://www.leadtools.com/
NORDX/CDT has announced the release of the DynaTraX Enterprise Management Software, a network management tool that can control the network's physical layer. DynaTraX monitors and diagnoses the physical connectivity of all network equipment. It offers remote network reconfiguration and the physical tracking of users. The DynaTrax Enterprise Management Software costs $5000.00.
NORDX/CDT Corp.
3701 Algonquin Road
Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
800-262-9334
http://www.nordx.com/
Component Cafe has released a suite of ActiveX components -- the Eval-O-Matic, the Func-O-Matic, and the Calc-O-Matic -- for Windows developers who are writing applications that require complex calculations or financial, statistical, and mathematical functions. Eval-O-Matic automatically parses and evaluate any string expression, handling operator precedence, nested parentheses, and more than 100 Excel compatible financial, statistical, and mathematical functions. Func-O-Matic performs financial, statistical, and mathematical functions and also includes functions such as numerous unit-of-measure conversions and a function to validate credit card number format via a checksum. Calc-O-Matic is a calculator ActiveX control that can be embedded in a form, a drop-down combo, or a floating calculator. Calc-O-Matic allows developers to choose from Standard, Scientific, Extended Scientific, and Financial styles. You can also program your own functions onto the Calc-O-Matic's buttons.
Component Cafe
3535 Westheimer Road, Suite 226
Houston, TX 77027
713-621-3350
http://www.componentcafe.com/
ObjectShare has announced Parts for Java 2.0, the second version of its visual Java application development environment. Parts 2.0 provides a drag-and-drop visual programming environment for the delivery and maintenance of Internet applications. Chief among the new features are CORBA (Common Object Request Broker) support, JavaBeans support, a pure Java graphical debugger, and a complete Project Manager with a Delivery Assistant. Parts 2.0 includes a "value pack" with JDBC (Java Database Connect) support and the inclusion of jKit/Grid 1.1, a series of Java components that allow users to build grids, tables, and hierarchical table UIs. Retail pricing for Parts 2.0, including the value pack, is $149.00.
ObjectShare also announced jKit/GO, a framework for creating graphical Java applications. You can use jKit/GO to create business graphics, network diagrams, drawing editors, workflow or program diagrams, engineering graphics, PERT charts, and the like. The framework is fully compatible with JDK 1.1, and includes a wide range of royalty-free Java Graphic Objects and tools, as well as built-in coordinate system controls and display list management. Pricing for jKit/GO 1.1, including royalty-free use of all included Java objects, is $149.00. (The source code version is $499.00.)
ParcPlace-Digitalk (ObjectShare Division)
3160 De La Cruz Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408-481-9090
http://www.objectshare.com/
Code Navigator for C++, from Quintessoft Engineering, is an editor, browser, and code generator for Windows 95/NT. It includes the C++ Metacode Framework and a library of C++ metaclasses for building custom code patterns and reports. Code Navigator for C++ costs $425.00.
Quintessoft Engineering Inc.
3135 South State Street, Suite 108
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
313-669-0192
http://www.quintessoft.com/
BrainTech announced Video Image Recognition System (VRS), an image-recognition and retrieval system. BrainTech uses the Olson Reticular Brainstem algorithm for pattern recognition. VRS uses a separate processor called BrainTron, designed for mounting on a PCI board. The VRS development environment runs on Windows NT, and includes video image processing and statistical object classification modules.
BrainTech Inc.
930 West 1st Street
North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P 3N4
604-986-6121
http://www.bnti.com/
The Windward Group has released RTAccess 1.0, a development kit for linking your Windows desktop applications to the U.S. Robotics PalmPilot device. RTAccess provides full synchronization between the standard PalmPilot application databases (including Address Book, Datebook, Memopad, and Todo) and your application's database. RTAccess handles issues such as duplicate records, double modify, and records modified on one side and deleted on the other. RTAccess is compatible with HotSync 1.1 or later and runs on Windows 95/NT. Pilot 1.0 and PalmPilot 2.0 are supported. Your application's database must be DAO-enabled. Pricing involves a combination of licensing and royalty fees.
The Windward Group
718 University Avenue, Suite 100
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408-395-9442
http://www.wwg.com/
Synchrologic has announced SyncKit, SyncFTP, and Session Manager components that deliver a database-independent, scalable method for synchronizing client/server data in intermittently connected environments. SyncKit is the core database synchronization component. It includes a conditional-logic rules interface for supporting multiple ways of sharing data with individual users. Built-in serialization of transactions and referential data integrity protection is also provided. SyncFTP is a file-transport mechanism for intermittently connected environments. Session Manager is an ActiveX object that coordinates the communication and synchronization processes on the client side. Synchrologic supports any ODBC database.
Synchrologic Inc.
250 14th Street, NW, Fourth Floor
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-876-3209
http://www.synchrologic.com/
ParaGraph International, which was recently acquired by Silicon Graphics, has released MorphInk, a web authoring tool for creating animations with morphing capabilities. The animation files created by MorphInk are viewable by Microsoft Internet Explorer with ActiveX controls or by Netscape Navigator with a plug-in viewer. MorphInk is available for $39.95.
ParaGraph also announced internet 3D Space Builder 2.1, an MMX-optimized VRML 2.0 authoring tool. This version supports compression, improved geometry design, and a variety of True Color rendering engines. ISB 2.1 costs $89.95.
ParaGraph International Inc.
1688 Dell Avenue
Campbell, CA 95008
408-364-7700
http://www.paragraph.com/
The MathWorks has introduced tools for modeling, simulating, and prototyping real-time embedded systems applications: Simulink 2.1, Stateflow, and Real-Time Workshop 2.1, respectively. Simulink provides a graphical environment in which users can create block diagram models of their systems and then simulate their performance. Simulink contains a variety of predefined and extensible components for modeling nonlinear dynamic systems of any size or complexity, including continuous time, discrete-time, and hybrid systems.
Stateflow is a graphical tool for designing complex control and supervisory logic systems. Stateflow gives you the ability to model and simulate the behavior of complex reactive, event-based systems based on finite state machine theory. Stateflow also provides automatic C code generation through the optional Stateflow Coder.
Real-Time Workshop 2.1 allows real-time execution of models from Simulink. Real-Time Workshop automates the steps of code generation, and allows customization of this code using its Target Language Compiler. Code is generated as ANSI C for multiple target hardware platforms. All three tools are available for Windows 95/NT, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms.
The MathWorks Inc.
24 Prime Park Way
Natick, MA 01760
508-647-7000
http://www.mathworks.com/
CoStar has introduced an SDK for its XL and XL Plus LabelWriter printers. The SDK solves label printing issues for application developers, including bar code printing, label design, label formatting, and shrinking text to fit specific label sizes. The SDK supports Visual Basic, Access, FoxPro, and Delphi. The kit is compatible with any product that can act as a DDE client in Windows 3.x/95/NT. The SDK costs $199.00.
CoStar Corp.
599 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830-6092
800-426-7827
http://www.costar.com/
Sybase's Powersoft Power++ 2.0 adds Internet capabilities, such as the creation of web-server applications, a wizard-driven component-based approach for developing ActiveX components, and components for HTTP, FTP, and other Internet protocols. Power++ 2.0 is available in an enterprise edition for $1999.00, a professional edition for $999.00, and a developer edition for $499.00.
Sybase Inc. (Powersoft Open Tools)
561 Virginia Road
Concord, MA 01742-2732
508-287-2788
http://www.sybase.com/
DDJ