csfred@violet.berkeley.edu.UUCP (04/30/86)
Here are a few development tools I would recommend to people interested in Macintosh software development. Besides compilers, I've listed books, magazines, and other sources of information. After each product, I've tried to list the manufacturer or author. I'm doing this from memory, so if I get anything wrong, please correct the list and don't be offended. ******************************************************************** C: ******************************************************************** Mac C - Consulair A very good development system. The only development system that fully supports HFS and the new ROMs. I coauthored a book on Macintosh C development, and this was the compiler we used for the code examples. Aztec C - Manx Also a very good development system. Uses a Unix-like shell for development LightSpeed C - Think Technologies Reasonably priced, VERY fast development system. It's new so more experience with its reliability is needed. Also, there is no inline assembly language, but it is still a good development system. There are other C compilers: Megamax Softworks DeSmet Hippo Sumac none of which I know much about. People are naturally going to ask, "Which do you use?". From 1984 until two months ago, I used Consulair. Its great. If you need a C development system now, Consulair as well as Aztec and LightSpeed will do the job. I own all three and they are all good development systems. As of February I've been using a devlopment system that unfortunately won't be commercially available for at least 5 to 7 months. It is far more powerful than any Mac development system I know of. I love it. I really wish I could talk about it or review it, but I can't. ******************************************************************** Pascal: ******************************************************************** MacLanguage Series Pascal - TML Systems The only Pascal Compiler for the Mac. From everyone I've talked to, a very good and reasonably priced system. MacPascal 2.0 - Apple An good interpreter from Apple. Now not copy protected and also has a runtime module so that people can run your MacPascal programs without MacPascal. Debatable as to whether it would be called a development system or not. ******************************************************************** Other Languages: ******************************************************************** There are other languages out on the market but I can speak with no authority on any of them. I'll leave that to others. There are at least: 3 - Lisp Compilers/Interpreters 1 - SmallTalk environment 3 - BASIC Compilers/Interpreters 1 - FORTRAN Compiler 2 - Modula 2 Compilers 3 - 68000 Assemblers 3 - Forths 1 - APL 1 - Prolog 1 - Neon ******************************************************************** Debuggers: ******************************************************************** MacsBug - Apple Apple's debugger. Not bad, and best of all is free with lots of different development systems, or comes with the software supplement TMON - ICOM Simulations A much more powerful, user modifiable debugger. Very good. Be sure to get the latest extended user area. ******************************************************************** Other Applications/Tools: ******************************************************************** QUED - Paragon Courseware A very nice editor, many more features than MDS Edit, the editor that comes with MDS, Consulair, TML and others. ResEdit - Apple A very powerful application. Lets you create, delete, or modify resource files. Latest version, by the way, really is 1.0 D11 (and its even about 6 weeks old). One of my all-time favorite applications. REdit - Apple The European Resource Editor. Allows you to modify or delete certain types of resources. For some resource types (menus for example), it has a much nicer user interface than ResEdit. Not nearly as powerful as ResEdit however. RMaker - Apple Apple's resource compiler. The ancestor to both ResEdit and REdit. For creating resources. For creating certain types of resources (big STR# resources for example), it is better to use than the previous two. ******************************************************************** Books: ******************************************************************** Inside Macintosh - Apple Computer/Addison Wesley A definite must. Macintosh Revealed (two volumes) - Stephen Chernikoff A good book(s) if you are programming in Pascal. Using the Macintosh Toolbox with C - Jim Takatsuka, Fred Huxham, Dave Burnard The greatest book ever written about anything. Period. (Whoops) I mean a good book if you are programming in C. (I'm one of the authors) Get a good general reference and/or tutorial book on the language you plan to use for example: C - K & R Oh! Pascal - Cooper & Clancy ******************************************************************** Magazines: ******************************************************************** MacTutor A GREAT magazine no matter what language you program in. Packed full of example code in all languages for the Mac. Another definite must. MacUser They have a monthly programming column MacWorld Rarely have any development articles MACazine Articles on development semi-regularly. Nibble Mac I think they have BASIC source code, maybe more? ******************************************************************** Other Stuff: ******************************************************************** Inside LaserWriter - Apple Needed if you're doing any development for the Laserwriter Inside AppleTalk - Apple Needed if you're doing any development for AppleTalk Software Supplements - Apple These are published every couple of months, and cost about $25.00. Apple distributes the latest development software and documentation this way. Another definite must. Technical Notes - Apple Programming tips, file formats, etc. Put out every month or so. $25.00 per year I think. Another definite must. Apply to become a Certified Software Developer - Apple It can't hurt to try, and if you're accepted you can get e-mail and/or phone technical support from Apple and great prices on Apple products. Get some sample Source code !!!!! This is another one of those definite musts. I think the reason people had such a hard time doing Mac development 2 or 3 years ago was that there wasn't much source code to look at for guidance/examples. You can get source code from any of the various nets, local bbs's, books, MacTutor, software supplement, the various compiler companies, user groups, etc. Have patience There is a big learning curve to get over in order to program the Mac. But once you're over, its a really fun machine to program. Don't be afraid to ask questions On this net are a lot of people that have been programming the Mac for quite a while. Join your local users group There will probably be some developers there, better yet, they may even have a developers SIG. Well, that's all I can think of off the top of my head, although I'm sure others could easily add to this list. I'd like to hear about other things people use that I haven't mentioned or talked about. Fred A. Huxham