info-mac@uw-beaver (10/10/85)
From: Moderator Richard M. Alderson <INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.arpa>
INFO-MAC Digest Thursday, 10 Oct 1985 Volume 3 : Issue 47
Today's Topics:
spExtra field in GrafPort [2 messages]
Appletalk Information
Appletalk applications
Appletalk cable
IEEE 488 -> Mac
Apple forces GEM change
VLSI Tools for the Mac?
Atkinson's Paint Mover; it works, but BEWARE!
ResEdit Prototype Version #0.8
Bug Fix To Menu Clock - Doc
Font Librarian
FontDisplay 2.2
Too basic, but crucial help on quick draw routines requested.
[query] Font order in menus
Problem with desk top fonts [query]
Rascal Review
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 4 Oct 85 (Fri) 23:27:35 EDT
From: Dan Winkler <daw%brown.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: spExtra field in GrafPort [2 messages]
In Inside Macintosh (I have the phone book edition), the spExtra field of a
GrafPort is declared as:
spExtra: INTEGER;
But in the Workshop Pascal interface file, it's declared as:
spExtra: LongInt;
and in the Sumacc quickdraw.h header file, it's declared as:
long spExtra;
Thus, Workshop Pascal and Sumacc agree that this field is 4 bytes long (not
suprising since the latter was derived from the former) whereas Inside
Macintosh says it's two bytes long. Inside Macintosh also says that the
size of a GrafPort is 108 bytes, but if you only use 2 bytes for spExtra,
as it does, the total comes to only 106 bytes. All this points to the
conclusion that the declaration of spExtra in Inside Macintosh is a
misprint.
BUT if you look at the definition of spExtra on page 25 of the Quickdraw
Programmer's Guide in Inside Macintosh, you find: "SpExtra is the number
of pixels by which each space character should be widened to fill out the
line." Obviously, this should not be a 4 byte integer; 2 bytes more than
suffices for this purpose. Indeed, 2 bytes suffices to represent a width
in pixels in any context on the Mac since the QuickDraw grid coordinates
are 2 bytes long.
But it gets even stranger. The SpaceExtra procedure is defined in Inside
Macintosh as:
PROCEDURE SpaceExtra (extra: INTEGER);
And in the Workshop Pascal Interface file as:
PROCEDURE SpaceExtra (extra: Fixed);
Fixed?? Very strange. But the size of a Fixed is 4 bytes, as is that of
LongInt, which may explain why Workshop programs don't crash when using
GrafPorts or WindowRecords which contain them.
I'm CC'ing this to Larry Rosenstein at Apple who'll surely know the answer.
I'd like to thank Larry for the superb support he's provided to Macintosh
developers through his informative messages to info-mac, info-macapp, and
net.micro.mac. He's also answered many, many mail messages from me, and in
every case I got a quick response that was complete, concise, and accurate.
It's wonderful that someone who's competent and responsive like that is
accessible by quick, convenient, and cheap electronic mail from as far away
as this coast.
Dan.
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Dan Winkler csnet: daw@Brown |
| Box 1910, Brown University bitnet: daw@browncs |
| Providence, RI 02912 uucp: {ihnp4,allegra,decvax,...}!brunix!daw |
| (401) 863-1647 arpa: winkler@harvard |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 85 16:11:24 pdt
From: Larry Rosenstein <lsr%apple.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: foo
The interface files are indeed right and Inside Macintosh is wrong. (If
you look at the date on the Quickdraw chapter, you will not that it is one
of the earliest parts of IM and probably has other errors in it.)
A quick check of the code for the SpaceExtra trap with Macsbug reveals that
it does indeed take a 4-byte parameter and moves it into a 4-byte slot in
the grafport (offset $4c).
I assume that the reason for making SpaceExtra take a FIXED is that it
allows for fractional values of spaceExtra, although I can't verify this.
Larry
------------------------------
Date: Mon 7 Oct 85 20:33:06-PDT
From: PIERCE@SRI-KL.ARPA
Subject: Appletalk Information
AppleTalk Information
=====================
We have 11 macs and two laserwriters connected to an AppleTalk net. We
have learned some things about connecting the things together. Hope they
can help others.
1) We looked briefly into different ways of purchasing the wires:
1- getting many of the 10 meter cables from Apple,
2- getting the 100 meter cable set from Apple,
3- going to non-apple and getting wires/connectors. We decided to get the
10 meter cables. We have been very pleased! Our cost of the 10M cables
is $35 each (about a dollar a foot). It is easy to add lengths to the
net and reconfigure it in any way. I am not sure, but I think one
drawback may be the many connections may reduce the total usefull length
of the net.
2) I don't like the way Apple recommends wiring them up. They recommend
having the cable come down into each office with the small transformer
sitting behind the Mac. This works, but it is a real pain to rewire. Add
someone to the net and it is a major operation to restring appletalk wires.
_____________ ______________________ ________________________
| | | |
| | | | Apple Recommendation
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
-#- -#-
| |
Mac Mac
We have found that leaving the transformer in the ceiling and dropping a
10-15 foot extension cable works fine and allows simplier reconfiguration.
It also keeps the length of the appletalk net shorter (We think this is a
performance advantage). We get the extension cables from (shudder) Radio
Shack--joystick extension cables. Don't knock success.
_______________#__________________________#________________________
| |
| | What we do
| |
| |
| |
| |
Mac Mac
3) We have had some problems with the net, but we haven't tracked them down
all the way, let me describe some of them. We have 8 of the macs plus a
laserwriter on the third floor and the second laserwriter and the rest of
the macs on the first floor. Macs go on/off all the time and they also get
connected and disconnected at random times (just unplug the mac, no removal
of the transformer).
The first failure was when we connected the two floors together. Half of
the net crashed! Disconnect the floor-to-floor connection and each
separate net worked alone! At the time the net looked something like this:
M--M--1st floor----------------3rd floor--M--M--M--M--M--LW--M--M--M--M
When it was all connected everything to the right of the LaserWriter did
not work--disconnect the 1st to 3rd floor connection and the third floor
worked fine. We solved this one by going to the fix mentioned in 2) above.
It may have been too much cable, or too many connectors, or gremlins. Now
this same configuration works fine (with the new wiring style).
Even now there are times we have problems with the net and we always are
able to solve it by disconnecting the 1st to 3rd floor connection. I
figure we have about 200 meters on the net. Maybe the 300 meter limit is a
real one and you have to have a 'clean' setup to make it work.
4) Diane (our third floor laserwriter, as opposed to Charles on the first
floor--Charles and Di) has about 8000 copies so far. The cartridges last
about 3500 copies each. We are beginning to see some problems with the
print quality of the laserwriter. Not on all the pages, but on some (1 out
of 20?).
You can see the bit pattern from the laser spot. Could be a problem of the
paper feed or the laser engine itself. Nothing much to worry about, just
you might think about renting rather than buying or waiting for the next
generation laserwriter.
5) I too am looking for software to transfer programs over the net. I saw
a beta of a desk accessory that did it, but I don't know the current
status. It was a very impressive piece of software (could use floppies in
another machine!). I would like to see a listing of these new programs.
6) Last is the search for a fileserver for the net. I have seen the Corvus
and Bernouli, they seem to be disk servers and will not work for my
application. Ditto with the Sunol, but I have not yet seen that one. The
Keeper seems to have good specifications in their brochure (i.e. a real
file server) and reasonable price, but I have not seen it or talked to
anyone who has. There sure is a need for one of these gadgets.
Jerry Pierce
Pierce@SRI-KL
You have heard of YUPPIE, now a new one:
"TAFFIE" - Technically Advanced Family - More likely to have a VCR and a home
computer.
------------------------------
Date: 4 Oct 85 17:17:27 EDT
From: Seymour <JOSEPH@BLUE.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: Appletalk applications
I have found several macintosh applications that make use of Appletalk.
XL/Serve and MacServe from INFOSPHERE - file and print services
Express Mail from TopExpress Limited - Electronic mail
Videx Mail from Videx INC - Electronic Mail
A database, I think Omnis III uses Appletalk to allow multiple people do
queries from one database simultaneously.
Hope this helps
Seymour
------------------------------
Date: 4 Oct 1985 16:07-EDT
From: Kevin.Dowling@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU
Subject: Appletalk cable
Here are some Belden numbers for Appletalk. Belden is one of the largest
cable manufacturers and are represented by many distributors. Anixter is a
large distributor of Belden.
Belden 9999 (PVC) $0.16/ft from Anixter
Belden 89999 (Teflon) $0.51/ft " "
Appletalk Connector #815-0878A $2.40 ea. " "
Comparison:
CMU's Computer Store charges $450 for Apple's package of 100m Teflon coated
cable, 26 connectors, and 4 cable extenders. The same package from Anixter
is $195.72 ($167.32 for the cable + $28.40 for the connectors) This is
exclusive of the extenders.
Obviously then the extenders must cost about $80 each! :-)
nivek
Aka : Kevin Dowling Bell: (412) 578-8830
Arpa: nivek@cmu-ri-rover Mail: Robotics Institute
Schenley Park
Pgh, PA 15213
------------------------------
Date: 4 Oct 1985 15:27-EDT
From: Kevin.Dowling@ROVER.RI.CMU.EDU
Subject: IEEE 488 -> Mac
I have literature from the following:
IOTech
PO Box 21204
Cleveland Ohio 44121
(216) 831-8646
Their Mac488A converts the Mac into a bus controller. Plugs directly into
the Mac serial port. Baud rates up to 56,600. Warranteed for 1 year.
Commands similar to HP 85, supports Pass Control, Receive Control,
Secondary Adressing, Parallel Poll and Serial Poll. Enable Mac to
communicate as a peripheral to other 488 bus controllers. Driver routines
provided for availble languages including Basic. Controls as many as 14
instruments. Mac488A to Mac cable included. $595.00
Small Business Computers of New England
PO Box 397
4 Limbo Lane
Amherst NH 03031
(603) 673-0228
Macquisition and Macontrol: Kind of an interesting approach using
Multiplan for the data collection. They show some examples of use. They
use their Taurus One device to actually connect to IEEE488 bus...
Metaresearch
1100 SE Woodward
Portland OR 97202
(503) 232-1712
I believe that this company is a spin-off from Reed. They have a wide
variety of hardware and software for instrumentation and communication.
nivek
Aka: Kevin Dowling Bell: (412) 578-8830
Arpa: nivek@cmu-ri-rover Mail: Robotics Institute
Schenley Park
Pgh, PA 15213
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1985 16:05:24 EDT
From: Michael Caplinger <mike%bambi@mouton.ARPA>
Subject: Apple forces GEM change
I just read in the Oct 7 InfoWorld that Apple and Digital Research settled
out of court that GEM does infringe on Apple patents for the Desktop--
apparently the GEM trashcan and other icons at least will have to go.
Apparently Apple is going after everybody who cloned the Mac window
arrangement.
Apparently Apple is going to be really hard-line about this--kind of ironic
when you consider they stole the interface from the Xerox Star in the first
place. Makes me kind of embarrassed to be a Mac owner.
In other news, the Apple 512K upgrade has been reduced in price--to a
still-inflated $449 (down 36% from $700).
Michael Caplinger
mike@bellcore.arpa
ihnp4!bambi!mike
------------------------------
Date: Wed 9 Oct 85 15:52:50-PDT
From: Marvin Zauderer <ZAUDERER@SU-SUSHI.ARPA>
Subject: VLSI Tools for the Mac?
Anyone know of any? Even a rudimentary VLSI design editor would be nice; I
need to do fairly simple layouts for my VLSI course.
I realize that one might use MacPaint or MacDraw--please let me know if you
have any better ideas.
-- Marvin Zauderer
(Zauderer@SU-SUSHI)
------------------------------
Date: 4 Oct 85 16:07:00 PST
From: sat.christ@ames-vmsb.ARPA
Subject: Atkinson's Paint Mover; it works, but BEWARE!
Reply-to: sat.christ@ames-vmsb.ARPA
The still-in-development Paint Mover utility posted here a few weeks back
works and is a useful tool when run in a full 512K environment. Here's
good way to check out its features:
1. Open Macpaint and pour a bucket of your most sparce pattern (not all
white, but as little black as possible) in the window. Save and Quit.
2. Open Paint Mover. Select the just-made Macpaint document; a reduced
image appears in the Input (leftmost) window.
3. From the Scale menu, choose a value of two or higher. This acts much
like a power of magnification setting.
4. Using click and drag, select as much as you can of the patterned area
and drag it into the Output window. Notice the difference?
5. Try some of the other options in the same way. You may want to use a
document of your own with a less uniform image.
HOWEVER, WHEN RUN IN LESS THAN 512K, PAINT MOVER CAN BITE! REAL HARD!!
------------------------------
Date: Wed 2 Oct 85 04:39:12-CDT
From: CS.RICHMANN@R20.UTEXAS.EDU
Subject: ResEdit Prototype Version #0.8
Attached is a new prototype release (dated September 19, 1985) of Apple
Computer's resource editor for the Macintosh. It was written by G. Pope,
S. Capps, and R. Sebok and released as an update to the Apple Software
Supplement on CompuServe. Apple holds a copywrite to this program.
This version is prototype #0.8, and I have no documentation to explain
modifications from the previous version. After download and conversion
with binhex 4.0, the application is 132K.
For those unfamiliar with previous versions of ResEdit, this application is
a graphically based tool used to create, edit, copy and paste resources for
a Macintosh application. Resources include menu items, dialog boxes,
fonts, cursors, and strings. A key feature of ResEdit is its extensibility
--you can create templates for new resource types and add them to ResEdit.
For some simple instructions on how to use ResEdit, check the premier issue
of _MacUser_, for the article "The Gourmet's ICON Cookbook," pages 94-98
and the June 85 issue of _MacWorld_, for the article "Mining the Mac's
Hidden Resources," pages 130-137.
[Archived as [SUMEX]<INFO-MAC>UTILITY-RESEDIT.HQX. --RMA]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 85 09:28:09 pdt
From: oster@ucblapis.CC.Berkeley.EDU
Subject: Bug Fix To Menu Clock - Doc
Here is Menu Clock Version 1.1. It fixes the reported bug using Menu Clock
with Hyperdrive 20. Menu Clock installs a clock on the right of the menu
bar that remains on the right of the menu bar permanently, application
program after application program, until you restart your Macintosh.
You are free to use this program for as long as you like but if you send me
$5.00, you become a registered owner and receive a reference card that
explains how to make the menu clock start automatically when you turn the
power on.
Menu Clock has been tested on 128k Macs, 512k Macs, and 1Meg Macs (Lisa
under Macworks), in all cases with both single and double drives, with hard
disks, with ram disks, and with cache disks. It is compatible with all
standard software, including the switcher. And this new version, version
1.1 works with all configurations version 1.0 works with, and also works
with HyperDrive 20s.
-- David Oster
[This can be found in [SUMEX]<INFO-MAC>DA-MENUCLOCK.HQX. --RMA]
Subject: Bug Fix To Menu Clock - Doc (Addenda)
If you have been using Menu Clock without problems you do not need to
upgrade. If you have the autostart version, you do not need to upgrade.
If you do not have the autostart version, and you expect to buy a
Hyperdrive 20 at some time in the future, you should upgrade to Menu Clock
1.1.
-- David Oster
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Oct 85 00:06:13 pdt
From: Michael Peirce <peirce@lll-crg.ARPA>
Subject: Font Librarian
This is a shareware program called Font Librarian. It is a nice improve-
ment over Apple's Font/DA Mover with such nicities as displaying the full
font, putting fonts in ANY file, an arbitrary number of open files, font
number/name control, etc...
Look it over - and pass it around...
-- michael
[Archived as [SUMEX]<INFO-MAC>UTILITY-FONT-LIBRARIAN.HQX. --RMA]
------------------------------
Date: 9 Oct 85 19:30:38 EDT
From: Jeffrey Shulman <SHULMAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: FontDisplay 2.2
Here is FontDisplay 2.2. It has the following fixes/changes since 2.1:
1) Bug fixed that would cause crashes when ejecting or changing volumes
that had even char length font file names.
2) Patch around SFGetFile changed according to a suggestion from Apple.
3) Style menu only active when sample window is open. Style sheet options
moved to File menu.
4) Now correctly handles open "disk" when other than the first file is
highlighted.
Jeff
uucp: ...{harvard, seismo, ut-sally, sri-iu, ihnp4!packard}!topaz!shulman
arpa: SHULMAN@RUTGERS
Compuserve: 76136,667
Delphi: JEFFS
[Archived, as always, in [SUMEX]<INFO-MAC>UTILITY-FONTDISPLAY.HQX. --RMA]
------------------------------
Subject: Too basic, but crucial help on quick draw routines requested.
Date: 05 Oct 85 12:14:15 EDT (Sat)
From: Gurudatta Parulkar <parulkar@dewey.udel.EDU>
Dear Kind People,
I have been struggling for last few days to write some sample programs
(mostly based on QuickDraw routines) for Mac, using SumacC Development
system, and it is a real shame to say that I have not succeeded.
For the time being, what I am trying to do is as simple as drawing a
rectangle on the screen and moving it around. I use quickdraw routines like
SetRect(), FrameRect(), OffsetRect(), etc, etc, and nothing happens on the
screen. I have no problem with DrawString(), LineTo(). But as I get in to
rectangles and pictures, nothing happens.
So could somebody please tell me what could be the problem ? It would be
great if somebody could mail me a real small program which does something
similar.
I do understand that it may be too primitive, but I don't know what else I
could do.
Thanks alot in advance.
-gurudatta
PS: I have read the Inside Mac and also played with SumacC sample programs,
but still .....
:______________________________________________________________________________
:Gurudatta M. Parulkar
:University of Delaware
:Department of Computer and Information Sciences
:Newark, DE 19716
:
:ARPA: parulkar@udel-dewey.EDU
:CSNET: parulkar%udel-dewey@csnet-relay
:UUCP: ...!harvard!parulkar@udel-dewey
:______________________________________________________________________________
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 85 21:35:21 edt
From: jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John T. Kohl)
Subject: [query] Font order in menus
Reply-to: jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Is there a way to alter the order fonts appear in the font menus in
applications? In particular, I want to have 20 fonts in my system file and
be able to use them all in macpaint, macwrite. The problem arises with
macdraw, which puts fonts and point size selection on the same menu, so I
can't use half the fonts. What is left are the non-standard fonts I added
using the Font/DA mover. I want to move the standard fonts to the top of
the menu and the non-standard ones to the bottom. Any Ideas?
John T. Kohl
UUCP: ...!mit-eddie!mit-athena!jtkohl
ARPA: jtkohl@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
------------------------------
Date: 7-Oct-85 11:31 PDT
From: SISOE.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA
Subject: Problem with desk top fonts [query]
Sender: Capt Personius, OIS Architecture Mgr, SISS/4085
Sender: <JP.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA>
I've experienced a rather annoying problem for the last few months with my
desk top fonts which has finnally brewed into enough frustration to ask if
anyone else has the same problem and/or has a fix for the problem. As best
I can tell, the Geneva 9 point font which is used for the volume and file
names on the desk top is not being addressed or pointed to by the system
(or whatever). Instead, I get a what resembles a 12 point Chicago reduced
to a 9 point Chicago (which is fairly unreadable and annoying).
This all happened about the time I tried out the Ramdisk (downloaded from
info-mac, june or july time frame). Through some other possibly related
problems like a beserk screen, toots and wistles from the sound generator,
and a hung Mac, this font problem (which only occured on one disk for a few
days) has now wormed its way onto every system disk I have (nearly 40 in
number).
So far I have tried new, unpolluted, start-up disks from other Mac users,
swaped out old finders and systems etc., all to no avail. I have, however,
been able to somewhat determine that the problem lies in the system file
and not the finder. I have the apple update utilities and have run them in
order to correct the problem, but it doesn't change anything.
I might add that a fellow Mac owner experience the same initial problems (9
point Chicago font and beserk screen) as soon as he started using the
imfamous ramdisk. Since he was aware of my problem, he immediately deleted
all copies of the ramdisk and was able to stiffle the problem. Mine still
remains permanent.
I am not an exceptionally experienced programmer, especially for the mac,
but I have tried to find something in friend's "Inside Mac" and have
glanced at the supplement. I'm at a dead end as far as my capabilities.
Has anyone come across this problem ??? Has anyone found a fix ??? Please
let me know. Thanks in advance.
Jay M. Personius
SISOE.AFCC@AFCC-3 (i'm on the DDN)
(618) 256-4085
Scott Air Force Base, IL
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 85 22:24:50 PDT
From: msev%Phobos@CIT-Hamlet.ARPA
Subject: Rascal Review
The Rascal System has been mentioned lately on INFO-MAC. Since some of
that information originated with me, and perhaps was a little cryptic, I
thought I should offer a more balanced commentary.
Rascal is a "Macintosh Language for Real-Time I/O Oriented Development"
developed at Reed College and distributed by Metaresearch, Inc., 1100 SE
Woodward, Portland, OR 97202 (503-232-1712). It is based on Pascal, but
fairly loosely, with C influences. It embodies an editor, compiler,
linker, and execution monitor in an integrated development environment. A
new version, "A+", is just out.
A primary feature of Rascal is its real-time ability. Macintosh events are
fielded for the user in several categories: Mousedown, keydown, menu
selection, window update all cause certain user-written procedures to be
entered. Programming is very easy, even with only a minor knowledge of the
Mac's software internals. The interrupt pushbutton (ever wonder what that
was for?) will usually work to trap a runaway procedure and return you to
the monitor level. Interrupt-driven procedures are supported via the
Vertical Retrace Manager. A 1 msec timer is maintained for fine time
resolution.
Rather complete ToolBox interfaces allow you to use most Mac software
facilities without great effort. A handy interface to the SANE floating
point package is easy to use. (Eighty bits are a lot!)
Worth the price by themselves are the subroutine libraries, all provided in
source form. Graphics, including 3-D integer and floating, windows, menus,
file I/O, sound generation, are all illustrated in a helpful manner. These
are the examples that should have been in Inside Macintosh! Complex
arithmetic, complete with a working FFT routine is also included.
Many demonstration programs are provided. If they look like student term
projects, they probably were. Most work, some are splendid. An applica-
tion maker lets one make public-domain (no license needed) versions of your
programs. A DA maker lets one, with some care, make them into desk
accessories.
Programming is fast, especially with 512K, Turbocharger, and external
floppy. The edit-compile-link-execute sequence has an "express" option,
rivalling Forth or TurboPascal in speed and convenience. Compilation
errors send you back to the editor with the cursor on your bad code. Code
is compiled and reasonably fast, but not optimized. A simple LOOP block
takes 32 microseconds. In a week of using the current version I haven't
encountered any system bugs.
I had been wondering what to use for a prospective special terminal
emulation application, with graphics, controls, etc. Rascal offers a more
human-scale way to program a complicated application. For example, the
minimum useful Rascal code (a 16-line dumb terminal emulator) compares well
against the IM Roadmap example (3 awful pages for a simple editor).
The major disadvantages are the non-standard language, which, though
powerful enough for me (includes TYPEs now), might be difficult to convert
to another system. It is also unclear what support the vendor will provide
in the long run.
Documentation is good, a bit fragmented, but improvements are promised.
Price is $99.
Martin Ewing, Caltech Radio Astronomy
mse@caltech.bitnet or mse%phobos@cit-hamlet.arpa
------------------------------
End of INFO-MAC Digest
**********************