harrow@exodus.dec.com (Jeff Harrow, NCSE LKG1-3/F16 Boxborough DTN=293-5128) (04/27/87)
I have just finished (my first) reading of Inside Mac Vol. 5, which details the new toolbox routines for the SE and Mac ][. These include use of the new script package, color, and other new goodies. My question is this: If you program an application to be fully functional on the top of the line machine (Mac ][) which requires that you make use of the NEW calls and structures such as COLOR grafports, textedit Style resources, etc, HOW WILL THESE PROGRAMS BEHAVE WHEN RUN ON ONE OF THE "CLASSIC" MACS? Will it be necessary to write conditional (yuk!) code into the programs so that IF CLASSIC THEN ... ELSE ... or has Apple, in their usual tremendously successful efforts at compatibility come up with some method that these NEW calls will somehow operate in the OLD way when run on a "Classic Mac?" Thanks. Jeff Harrow Work address: ARPAnet: HARROW%EXODUS.DEC@decwrl.ARPA Usenet: decwrl!exodus.dec.com!harrow or {allegra,Shasta,decvax}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-exodus!harrow Easynet: EXODUS::HARROW Telephone: (617)264-5128 USPS: Digital Equipment Corp. Mail stop: BXB1-2/E02 85 Swanson Road Boxboro, MA 01719
dgold@apple.UUCP (04/27/87)
In article <9529@decwrl.DEC.COM> harrow@exodus.dec.com (Jeff Harrow, NCSE LKG1-3/F16 Boxborough DTN=293-5128) writes: >My question is this: If you program an application to be fully >functional on the top of the line machine (Mac ][) which requires >that you make use of the NEW calls and structures such as COLOR >grafports, textedit Style resources, etc, HOW WILL THESE PROGRAMS >BEHAVE WHEN RUN ON ONE OF THE "CLASSIC" MACS? > >Will it be necessary to write conditional (yuk!) code into the >programs so that IF CLASSIC THEN ... ELSE ... or has Apple, in >their usual tremendously successful efforts at compatibility come >up with some method that these NEW calls will somehow operate >in the OLD way when run on a "Classic Mac?" Some of the new features have been backpatched onto 128K ROM machines. Basically, most of the new functions (TextEdit, Menu Manager, etc) are available on anything with 128K or later ROMs running System 4.1 or later. This is not true for any of the color functions; these are available only on the Mac II, so I'm afraid that "yuk!" is the order of the day. -- David Goldsmith Apple Computer, Inc. MacApp Group AppleLink: GOLDSMITH1 UUCP: {nsc,dual,sun,voder,ucbvax!mtxinu}!apple!dgold CSNET: dgold@apple.CSNET, dgold%apple@CSNET-RELAY BIX: dgoldsmith