Newsbits

By Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief

LS Fortran upgrades!

Language Systems Corp. has announced major additions to its line of popular FORTRAN compilers for the Macintosh. LS FORTRAN Standard and LS FORTRAN Professional include significant performance improvements over previous versions.

The new compilers feature a high performance 68040 library which boosts execution speed by up to 60% on computation intensive programs. Other enhancements, based on extensive analysis of real-world programs, further increase execution speed.

Beta testers report execution speed improvements from 15% to 400%, depending on the source code. Compilation speed has also been improved. Users report some BLOCK DATA subprograms actually compile 20 times faster.

Language Systems has further enhanced the compiler by adding frequently used Fortran 90 extension. The recent approval of the Fortran 90 standard by national and international standards committees has focused more attention on the FORTRAN language.

LS FORTRAN Professional is a new configuration which includes LS FORTRAN 3.3, MPW 3.3, ToolServer, a lint checker, special runtime diagnostic library, and TSiGraphics, all with a complete set of manuals. Also included are a handful of popular Apple Development Tools such as ResEdit, SourceBug, MacsBug, Assembler, SourceServer, and Discipline.

LS FORTRAN Standard retails for $595, and LS FORTRAN Professional retails for $895. Upgrades from previous versions range from $89 to $199, depending on configuration.

For more information, contact Language Systems Corporation, 441 Carlisle Drive, Herndon, VA 22070-4802, Voice: 800/252-6479, 703/478-0181, Fax: 703/689-9593, AppleLink: LANGSYS, America Online: LANGSYS.

Appmaker supports C++

Bowers Development has released AppMaker 1.5.4 which provides support for Symantec C++ for the Macintosh including THINK C version 6.0, C++ and the updated TCL. AppMaker 1.5.4 is a free update which users can download from America Online, keyword: AppMaker; or CompuServe: MacDev forum, library 13, or AppleLink: 3rd party updates. Users who do not have access to electronic services can request a free update disk directly from Bowers Development.

AppMaker is a visual interface builder that allows a programmer to design a Macintosh user interface on-screen and then generate source code in a variety of supported languages. In addition to being compatible with Symantec C++ for the Macintosh, AppMaker supports Think Pascal, TCL, MacApp, MPW C and MPW Pascal and A/UX. AppMaker lists for $299 and carries a 60-day money-back guarantee.

For more information, contact Bowers Development, 97 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742, Voice: 508/369-8175, Fax: 508/369-8224.

HyperHit: Loyalty not Royalty

SoftStream International, Inc. has announced today that the company will roll out a special offer to call attention to the company's new royalty- free policy on single-user versions of the HyperHIT database engine. Developers who include the HyperHIT engine in single-user products will have total control over the pricing of their own single-user products.

HyperHIT DELUXE and HyperHIT DELUXE multi-user allow you to add true database support to HyperCard, SuperCard, HyperApp, Double-XX, and other products that use XCMDs and XFCNs. The developer creates the interface that best suits the user's needs, and uses HyperHIT's fast efficient XCMDs and XFCNs to handle the data storage.

For more information, contact SoftStream International, Inc., 106 State Road, Suite 106A, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, Voice: 800/262-6610.

ScriptGen Pro ships!

StepUp Software has announced the release of ScriptGen Pro™, a simple and feature-rich Installer script generator. ScriptGen Pro can create Installer scripts incorporating an Easy Install option, custom packages, resource installation, color graphics, compression, sound, splash screens, and fonts. Network support is included.

With additional third-party products, ScriptGen Pro supports three common compression formats: Compact Pro, StuffIt, and Diamond. Adding decompression support to an Installer script is as simple as checking a checkbox.

InstallerPack, StepUp’s collection of Installer add-ons called action atoms (sold separately), is internally supported making any feature available by checking a checkbox. Custom graphics, sound, compression, and custom folder icons are script enhancements incorporated with InstallerPack.

For a limited time, StepUp is shipping ScriptGen Pro with two Installer add-ons - “UserSelectsDestination Action Atom” and the “AlertUser Function”. ScriptGen Pro is $169. InstallerPack is $219.

For more information, contact StepUp Software, 3883 Turtle Creek Blvd. Penthouse 10, Dallas, Texas 75219, Voice: 214/520-7717, AppleLink: STEPUP

AppleScript waits on Tables

Chang Labs has released TableServer - a windowless server program designed to interact with other programs through AppleScript.

TableServer manages columnar data. Sample scripts demonstrate interprogram interaction including mail merge using Quill, shipping cost lookup from FileMaker invoices, and price lookup from Excel quotation spreadsheet. TableServer can run on a network, providing data to any application that needs access.

TableServer is a full implementation of the Required, Core, and Table suites of events and objects. You can refer to rows, columns, or cells by name or number. You can also refer to explicit lists of cells and rows.

TableServer supports many AppleEvent data classes including the Excel list of lists, FileMaker tab-delimited lists, and the Table Suite structures.

The suggested retail price for TableServer is $99. The introductory price is $49 good until August 30, 1993. For developers learning to support the AppleEvents in their applications, the TableServer source code is available for a fee.

For more information, contact Technical Publications, Chang Labs, 10228 N. Stelling, Cupertino, CA 95014, Voice: 408/727-8096, AppleLink: D0185

Madacon ‘94

MADA is pleased to announce that their fifth annual developer's conference, MADACON '94, will be held at the Atlanta Airport Hilton in Atlanta, Georgia, February 28-March 5.

MADA is seeking authoritative speakers to present topics of interest to software developers that create desktop applications using object-oriented technology, including frameworks, object-oriented languages, component libraries and cross-platform techniques.

For more information, contact MADA, 10062 Miller Avenue, Suite 202B, Cupertino, CA 95014, Voice: 408/253-2765, Fax: 408/253-2767, AppleLink: MADA

QD3D/3D

ViviStar Consulting has announced the release of its Qd3d/3dPane 2.0 and SmartPane 1.0 C/C++ source code libraries.

Qd3d 3d drawing includes point, line, and polygon primitives plus a polyhedra meta-primitive. Rendering option: Gouraud shading, z-buffering, culling, depth cueing, parallel and perspective projections, and performance enhancing "OnlyQD" and "Wireframe" modes. New version 2.0 features: stereo projections, full clipping, parameter block access for meta-primitives, animation and model interaction support, a "triad mouse" to map 2d mouse movement to 3d, and performance enhancements that increase rendering speeds by 15% to 500%.

3dPane integrates Qd3d with the Think Class Library (TCL) and provides a view orientation controller. SmartPane adds TCL support for offscreen pixel maps, flicker removal, QuickTime and PICS movie recording, and image conversion to PICT files and the clipboard. SmartPane may be used in 2d or 3d applications.

Pricing: Qd3d/3dPane $128, SmartPane $64, Qd3d/3dPane and SmartPane bundle $192.

For more information, contact ViviStar Consulting, 7015 E Aster Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85254, Voice: 602/483-3123, AppleLink: ViviStar, CompuServe: 73067,542, Internet: ViviStar@ACM.org

Quorum Equal Ships!

Quorum Equal - the first application adapter - gives brand name applications the ability to run as if they were written native for Sun SPARCstations, SPARC compatibles and SGI Indigo workstations.

Every copy of Equal comes bundled with Microsoft Word and Excel. This unique product bundle eases installation, system administration and licensing. Simply load the CD and run the programs as you would any application under Motif or Open Look. Once installed, Equal is invisible to the user.

With our adapter approach, Word and Excel run in full color at accelerated speeds, embrace the system resources provided by UNIX and smoothly integrate into the Motif or Open Look interface.

For more information, contact Quorum Software Systems, 4700 Bohannon Dr. #125, Menlo Park, CA 94025, Voice: 415/323-3111, Fax: 415/323-3113.