labc-3dc@web-3f.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) (03/27/89)
In article <27873@apple.Apple.COM> mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes: >In article <8903252138.aa08342@SMOKE.BRL.MIL> AWCTTYPA@UIAMVS.BITNET ("David A. Lyons") writes: >>The _ProDOS 8 Technical Reference Manual_ from Addison-Wesley is >>good. It's the offical reference. [ etc... ] >> >If you're going to write code using the ProDOS 8 MLI, I heartily recommend >both the Addison-Wesley ProDOS 8 Technical Reference Manual (the hardcover >version; no one should be buying any old A-W spiral-bound books) *AND* the >complete set of Technical Notes, specifically the ProDOS 8 ones. How about "Beneath Apple ProDOS"? I don't know if the ProDOS 8 Tech Ref has been updated (when I bought it I got a bunch of 3-hole punched pages and had to buy this nifty little binder to cram it into), but the old version wasn't all that terrific. Beneath Apple ProDOS told you everything you ever wanted to know about ProDOS, plus a lot more. >> --David A. Lyons bitnet: awcttypa@uiamvs >Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome -- fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) labc-3dc@widow.berkeley.edu I wrote this message. Send replies. Andy started a trend. Send disclaimers > /dev/null
mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) (03/27/89)
In article <22073@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> labc-3dc@web-3f.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) writes: >How about "Beneath Apple ProDOS"? I don't know if the ProDOS 8 Tech Ref has >been updated (when I bought it I got a bunch of 3-hole punched pages and had >to buy this nifty little binder to cram it into), but the old version wasn't >all that terrific. Beneath Apple ProDOS told you everything you ever wanted >to know about ProDOS, plus a lot more. > Beneath Apple ProDOS is good. I have it myself; it is a useful reference. For one thing, it documents the QUIT call as an MLI call rather than in a separate section (one of my pet peeves about the P8 manual). But it's NOT the official word. If you're just playing around, Beneath Apple ProDOS will probably suit you quite well. But if you distribute your programs to others, you owe it to THEM to base your programming on the word from Apple, through the three manuals _ProDOS 8 Technical Reference Manual_, _ProDOS 8 Update_, and the ProDOS 8 Technical Notes. Material in other books is *not* guaranteed by Apple to remain unchanged. Example: Gary Little's new book notes that the vector at $BF03 in the global page, normally listed as J.SPARE, is actually used in current versions of ProDOS 8 as a vector to the QUIT code. This is true, and I don't deny it. HOWEVER, the P8 Reference Manual clearly states that $BF00 is the only address in the global page that should ever be *called*. If you use the $BF03 vector to circumvent making an MLI QUIT call, your program may not work in the future. That's the kind of thing I mean when I say that third-party books make good tutorials, but that they can't substitute for the references from Apple. Only Apple can make guarantees on what will and won't change. >-- >fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) >labc-3dc@widow.berkeley.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome Send PERSONAL mail ONLY (please) to: | should not be construed to imply that AppleLink PE: Matt DTS GEnie: AIIDTS | Apple Computer, Inc., or any of its CompuServe: 76703,3030 | subsidiaries, in whole or in part, Usenet: mattd@apple.com | have any opinion on any subject." UUCP: (other stuff)!ames!apple!mattd | "So there." -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
labc-3dc@web-3f.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) (03/27/89)
In article <27904@apple.Apple.COM> mattd@Apple.COM (Matt Deatherage) writes: [snrak snrak] >Beneath Apple ProDOS is good. I have it myself; it is a useful reference. [...] >But it's NOT the official word. If you're just playing around, Beneath Apple >ProDOS will probably suit you quite well. But if you distribute your programs >to others, you owe it to THEM to base your programming on the word from Apple, >[...] Material in other books is *not* >guaranteed by Apple to remain unchanged. This is actually one of the reasons why I prefer 3rd party books... the Apple publications tell you only as much as you need to know. Books from other sources go much more in-depth, giving you a deeper understanding of what is going on. As you say, they make good tutorials. But as long as the line is drawn between what The Standard is and what might change, the "underground" publications are of greater value in my opinion. While certain //gs books may step over that line (there's a //gs tech ref on my desk which has a pile of now-invalid data about tool locations), I maintain that Beneath Apple ProDOS is a better book by far (out on a limb, but that's the stuff of lively discussions, right?) I would agree, however, that the Tech Notes are invaluable additions to the manuals. >Matt Deatherage, Apple Computer, Inc. | "The opinions expressed in this tome [5K .signature omitted] -- fadden@cory.berkeley.edu (Andy McFadden) ...!ucbvax!cory!fadden labc-3dc@widow.berkeley.edu