[comp.sys.mac.programmer] Latest version

mjm@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Michael McClennen) (10/05/89)

In article <35236@apple.Apple.COM> dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
>
>* Use the latest version of HyperCard, which is currently 1.2.2 for most
>  of the older Macs and 1.2.5 for the Portable and IIci.  If you are
>  using 1.2.2 on a Plus, SE, SE/30, II, or IIcx, you do not need
>  to upgrade to 1.2.5 unless you have huge stacks (8 MB or larger in
>  size and more than 8000 cards).  Remember that 1.2.5 requires System
>  6.0.4 as well.


We have a stack that will total approximately 30 megabytes, for about 12,000
cards.  Do we really want to run it using HyperCard v.1.2.5?  We plan to
distribute it commercially, and would not wish to make all of our users switch
to system 6.0.4 willy-nilly...

- Does HyperCard 1.2.5 simply run large stacks more efficiently than 1.2.2, or
  are there substantial changes in functionality?

- Do the two versions use the same file format, so that we could develop using
  1.2.5 and distribute for use with 1.2.2?

In addition, any comments from people with experience developing multi-megabyte
stacks would be most welcome!

Michael McClennen (mjm@dartmouth.edu)
Dartmouth College Academic Computing

dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) (10/10/89)

In article <15945@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> mjm@dartmouth.edu (Michael McClennen) writes:
>- Does HyperCard 1.2.5 simply run large stacks more efficiently than 1.2.2, or
>  are there substantial changes in functionality?
>
>- Do the two versions use the same file format, so that we could develop using
>  1.2.5 and distribute for use with 1.2.2?

HC 1.2.2 verses HC 1.2.5: there are no substantial changes in
functionality, but there are two very small (but important) bug fixes
that cause large stacks to usually be corrupted.  One of the bugs would
corrupt a stack when it had more than 8000 cards, while the other one
allows stacks to grow to their theoretical maximum of 512 MB.

The file format of HC 1.2.2 and HC 1.2.5 is identical.

Dan Allen
HyperCard Team
Apple Computer

dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) (10/10/89)

In article <35502@apple.Apple.COM> dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
>In article <15945@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> mjm@dartmouth.edu (Michael McClennen) writes:
>>- Does HyperCard 1.2.5 simply run large stacks more efficiently than 1.2.2, or
>>  are there substantial changes in functionality?
>>
>>- Do the two versions use the same file format, so that we could develop using
>>  1.2.5 and distribute for use with 1.2.2?
>
>HC 1.2.2 verses HC 1.2.5: there are no substantial changes in
>functionality, but there are two very small (but important) bug fixes
>that cause large stacks to usually be corrupted.  One of the bugs would
>corrupt a stack when it had more than 8000 cards, while the other one
>allows stacks to grow to their theoretical maximum of 512 MB.
>
>The file format of HC 1.2.2 and HC 1.2.5 is identical.
>
>Dan Allen
>HyperCard Team
>Apple Computer
>

P.S. - Version 1.2.5 fixes the two bugs that are in 1.2.2.  Sorry if
that was not clear from the original posting.

DA

american@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Jeff Iverson) (10/10/89)

dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
>In article <15945@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> mjm@dartmouth.edu (Michael McClennen) writes:
>>- Does HyperCard 1.2.5 simply run large stacks more efficiently than 1.2.2, or
>>  are there substantial changes in functionality?
>>
>>- Do the two versions use the same file format, so that we could develop using
>>  1.2.5 and distribute for use with 1.2.2?
>
>HC 1.2.2 verses HC 1.2.5: there are no substantial changes in
>functionality, but there are two very small (but important) bug fixes
>that cause large stacks to usually be corrupted.  One of the bugs would
>corrupt a stack when it had more than 8000 cards, while the other one
>allows stacks to grow to their theoretical maximum of 512 MB.
>
>The file format of HC 1.2.2 and HC 1.2.5 is identical.
>
>Dan Allen
>HyperCard Team
>Apple Computer

According to the HyperCard product data sheet that comes with Apple Developer
Services binder the maximum stack size is touted as 4096 megabytes.  

What is this 512 megabyte 'theoretical' maximum?
/s
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             Jeff Iverson

dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) (10/10/89)

In article <1239@orbit.UUCP> american@pnet51.orb.mn.org (Jeff Iverson) writes:
>According to the HyperCard product data sheet that comes with Apple Developer
>Services binder the maximum stack size is touted as 4096 megabytes.  
>
>What is this 512 megabyte 'theoretical' maximum?

The noted 4096 megabytes listed in some literature is incorrect.  A
stack can "theoretically" be up to 512 MB in size, although I do not
know if any stacks that large have ever been created.  I believe the
largest one we have created for testing HyperCard is only 200 MB in
size, with about 750,000 cards.

Note that the 512 MB maximum size corresponds roughly with the space
available on a CD-ROM.  In practice, however, such large stacks are hard
to backup and work with.  As stated before, anyone working with very
large stacks should consider upgrading to HyperCard 1.2.5 (and the
requiste System 6.0.4) to take advantage of a few bug fixes which only
affect very large stacks.  Stacks less than 8000 cards and 8 MB in size
are considered, for the purposes of this discussion, as small stacks.

Dan Allen
HyperCard Team
Apple Computer

mjm@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Michael McClennen) (10/12/89)

In article <35502@apple.Apple.COM> dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
>HC 1.2.2 verses HC 1.2.5: there are no substantial changes in
>functionality, but there are two very small (but important) bug fixes
>that cause large stacks to usually be corrupted.  One of the bugs would
>corrupt a stack when it had more than 8000 cards, while the other one
>allows stacks to grow to their theoretical maximum of 512 MB.
>
>The file format of HC 1.2.2 and HC 1.2.5 is identical.

Thank you!!!  I'm glad we didn't have to find that out the hard way...  Our
stack is not yet 8,000 cards but will be when all of the data is in.  I have
just one followup question:  To spare us the nuisance of having to convert all
of our machines to running 6.0.4, can we do most of the development under 1.2.2
still?  In other words, when does the corruption occur:  If it is only a
problem when adding cards then we can make sure to do all card adding under
HyperCard 1.2.5 and other sorts of development (changing scripts, etc.) under
1.2.2.  Or would this still be opening ourselves up for trouble?

Michael McClennen (mjm@dartmouth.edu)
Dartmouth College Academic Computing

kenk@tellab5.TELLABS.COM (Ken Konecki) (10/12/89)

In article <35502@apple.Apple.COM> dan@Apple.COM (Dan Allen) writes:
| HC 1.2.2 verses HC 1.2.5: there are no substantial changes in
| functionality, but there are two very small (but important) bug fixes
| that cause large stacks to usually be corrupted.  One of the bugs would
| corrupt a stack when it had more than 8000 cards, while the other one
| allows stacks to grow to their theoretical maximum of 512 MB.

Since I am planning to embark on a large stack project (potentially greater
than 8000 cards), it would probably be nice to have the bug fixed
version. How do I get it?

Thanks,
    -Ken K
-- 
Ken Konecki
"Eat well, stay fit, and die anyway"
e-mail:kenk@tellab5.UUCP    -or-    ...!uunet!tellab5!kenk	
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