[comp.sys.mac.programmer] THINK and other C

jonh@pogo.WV.TEK.COM (Jon Howell) (06/15/91)

I just bought a Mac IIcx.  Unlike my UNIX box, it didn't come with a C
compiler and six zillion utilities. :^)  I've already collected five
zillion PD and freeware utilities, and I'm ready for a language. :v)

I'm not going to be developing Microsoft Word or PageMaker, just programming
for myself.  I've seen Think Pascal at school, and I like the interface.
I've talked with one person about compilers; now I'd like to get as much
input as I can.

- What's available?  I've heard of Think C and MPW. (Apple's developer
	package, right?)

- How about documentation?  Library reference?

- Will X compiler allow me to generate whatever sort of code I want, such
	as applications, control panels, inits... ?

- Does X compiler come with an assembler I can get to or use inline?  I
	know a bit of 68K assembly that I'd like to use.

- What's the best way to get comfortable with programming for a Mac
	environment?  What books are good?

- What's the best mac environment reference?  Inside Macintosh seems to
	be the name equivalent to scripture.

Thanks for any input you can give me.  To help clarify, my use of the
assembler will be for doing my own projects.   Probably a lot of QuickDraw
graphics, floating point number stuff (this is starting to smell like
fractals and 3-D graphics, huh? :^), general hacking around.

aTdHvAaNnKcSe!
	--Jon
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Jon              6417 Sorrel Way | yaW lerroS 7146              noJ
Howell      West Linn, OR  97068 | 86079  RO, nniL tseW      llewoH
                    503/657-7964 | 4697-756\305

Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Lawson English) (06/17/91)

Jon Howell writes in a message to All

JH> I'm not going to be developing Microsoft Word or PageMaker, just 
JH> programming for myself. I've seen Think Pascal at school, and 
JH> I like the interface. I've talked with one person about compilers; 
JH> now I'd like to get as much input as I can. 
JH> - What's available? I've heard of Think C and MPW. (Apple's developer 
JH>  package, right?)

Think Pascal was used to develop PageMaker. Think C is the equivalent C. The
new Turbo C++ environment was modeled on THink C's. MPW is the package that
Apple uses to develop System 7, etc.

JH> - Does X compiler come with an assembler I can get to or use 
JH> inline? I  know a bit of 68K assembly that I'd like to use. 

Think C allows INLINE assembly. Think Pascal can link with Think C or MPW ".o"
files. MPW allows linking with MPW ".o" files, but I'm not sure about INLINE.


JH> - Will X compiler allow me to generate whatever sort of code 
JH> I want, such  as applications, control panels, inits... 

All of the above allow stand-alone code. Think C/Pascal can use the Object extensions
with stand-alone (with a bit of work), but MPW doesn't.

JH> - What's the best way to get comfortable with programming for 
JH> a Mac  environment? What books are good?

The Macintosh Programming Primer Vol 1 & 2 are good, as is the Macintosh Revealed
series. The Macintosh Inside Out series is a up-and-commer.

JH> - What's the best mac environment reference? Inside Macintosh 
JH> seems to  be the name equivalent to scripture

Inside Macintosh *is* scripture. That and the DTS tech notes. They are the official
Apple Macintosh programming manuals.

JH> To help clarify, my use of the assembler will be for doing my 
JH> own projects. Probably a lot of QuickDraw graphics, floating 
JH> point number stuff (this is starting to smell like fractals and 
JH> 3-D graphics, huh? :^), general hacking around.

Think C/Pascal (probably C) would be your best bet. You can use the TCL's to
develop your interface, and the INLINE assembly to do the nasty stuff with the
FPU (er, you DO have an  FPU, don't you? I don't recommend fractals without
one).

JH> Thanks for any input you can give me.

De nada.


Lawson







 

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siegel@world.std.com (Rich Siegel) (06/19/91)

In article <14327.285DA95A@stjhmc.fidonet.org> Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Lawson English) writes:
>
>Think Pascal was used to develop PageMaker. Think C is the equivalent C. The

	THINK C was used to develop PageMaker (among other things), not
THINK Pascal. THINK Pascal was used to develop Macintax (among other things).

R.

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Rich Siegel                              Internet: siegel@world.std.com
Software Engineer                        Applelink: SIEGEL
Symantec Languages Group

torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie) (06/20/91)

siegel@world.std.com (Rich Siegel) writes:

>In article <14327.285DA95A@stjhmc.fidonet.org> Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Lawson English) writes:
>>
>>Think Pascal was used to develop PageMaker. Think C is the equivalent C. The

>	THINK C was used to develop PageMaker (among other things), not
>THINK Pascal. 

  Can anyone say whether THINK C was used for the final, production
Pagemaker code?  Or did they go to MPW [for its better code
generation?]



-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
"Lay me place and bake me pie, I'm starving for me gravy... Leave my shoes
and door unlocked, I might just slip away - hey - just for the day."

ml27192@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Mark Lanett) (06/20/91)

torrie@cs.stanford.edu (Evan Torrie) writes:
>  Can anyone say whether THINK C was used for the final, production
>Pagemaker code?  Or did they go to MPW [for its better code
>generation?]

Better code generation my ass. I can only laugh when I hear this, albeit
in a black-humor sort of way. Obviously Mr. Torrie has never used MPW and
is just passing on something he's heard elsewhere. For instance, he's
probably never run into that problem where MPW C uses _two_ registers for 
"i" in an x=a[i]+b[i] loop, ONE OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN INITIALIZED. Or...
but the system's going down, I must be off..
Really Mr. Torrie, you should know better.

>-- 
>------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Evan Torrie.  Stanford University, Class of 199?       torrie@cs.stanford.edu   
>"Lay me place and bake me pie, I'm starving for me gravy... Leave my shoes
>and door unlocked, I might just slip away - hey - just for the day."
--
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Lanett						mlanett@uiuc.edu
Software Tools Group, NCSA