[comp.sys.apple2] Tech notes: ProDOS

gtolar@xcluud.sccsi.com (Glynne Tolar) (06/18/91)

I remember back a few months ago when ProDOS 1.9 came out and new tech notes 
for it followed that it listed what was new and fixed in it.  I found it 
strange that they also listed the known bugs in 1.9.  Why list them?  Why 
not fix them?  Just asking silly questions!

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cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu (Charles William Swiger) (06/20/91)

>I remember back a few months ago when ProDOS 1.9 came
>out and new tech notes  for it followed that it listed
>what was new and fixed in it.  I found it  strange
>that they also listed the known bugs in 1.9.  Why list
>them?  Why not fix them?  Just asking silly questions!

Why list the bugs?  It tells you what the problems with the current
version are so that you don't write code trying to use incorrect
portions of ProDOS.  It also means that you don't go nuts trying to
debug your code when the error is with the system software.

Why not fix the bugs?  First, knowing a problem exists does not imply
that the problem can be found easily _OR_ fixed conveniently.  Since
Apple had to release ProDOS 1.9 to accompany GS/OS 5.0.4, their time
budget to finish ProDOS 1.9 is and was limited.  They probably ran out
of time and had to ship the version they had ready, bugs notwithstanding.


-- Charles William Swiger
    cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu

curtis@achilles.ctd.anl.gov (Jeffrey Curtis ) (06/20/91)

In article <gcLxhRW00WAvQ_N1BA@andrew.cmu.edu> cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu (Charles William Swiger) writes:
>>I remember back a few months ago when ProDOS 1.9 came
>>out and new tech notes  for it followed that it listed
>>what was new and fixed in it.  I found it  strange
>>that they also listed the known bugs in 1.9.  Why list
>>them?  Why not fix them?  Just asking silly questions!
>
>Why list the bugs?  It tells you what the problems with the current
>version are so that you don't write code trying to use incorrect
>portions of ProDOS.  It also means that you don't go nuts trying to
>debug your code when the error is with the system software.
>
>-- Charles William Swiger
>    cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu

Does anyone have a copy of these tech notes?  If so, could you email them
to me?  I'd appreciate it..

Jeff

dzimmerman@gnh-tff.cts.com (Daniel Zimmerman) (06/24/91)

cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu (Charles William Swiger) writes:

> >I remember back a few months ago when ProDOS 1.9 came
> >out and new tech notes  for it followed that it listed
> >what was new and fixed in it.  I found it  strange
> >that they also listed the known bugs in 1.9.  Why list
> >them?  Why not fix them?  Just asking silly questions!
> Why not fix the bugs?  First, knowing a problem exists does not imply
> that the problem can be found easily _OR_ fixed conveniently.  Since
> Apple had to release ProDOS 1.9 to accompany GS/OS 5.0.4, their time
> budget to finish ProDOS 1.9 is and was limited.  They probably ran out
> of time and had to ship the version they had ready, bugs notwithstanding.
> 
> 
> -- Charles William Swiger
>     cs4w+@andrew.cmu.edu

ProDOS 8 v1.9 was released months before even System 5.03 was, on Apple II
System Utilities v3.2.5... If they were able to track down and fix the bugs
before the 5.03 release, they would have probably included ProDOS 8 v1.9.1
with System 5.03, rather than 1.9... Since 5.04 didn't change anything except
QDII Auxiliary and some printer drivers, they didn't change ProDOS 8 on 5.04,
even if they had fixed it by now, probably to avoid complications in upgrading
5.03 -> 5.04... 

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