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Newsbits

By Neil Ticktin, Editor-in-Chief

Object Master 2.0

ACI US, Inc. is shipping Object Master Universal version 2.0, an upgrade to its source code editor and development tool.

Object Master Universal is different from source code editors by offering additional features that support users when they need it most - during code development. With version 2.0, Object Master introduces over 150 new features and enhancements. Version 2.0 offers improved speed of operations. For example, parsing speed has increased two to three times in the new release. Another parser enhancement is its extended code support - the new version can parse C++ 3.0 code and, thanks to its support for macros, can even parse non-Macintosh code. Finally, for quick uninterrupted parsing, parser errors are placed in an error list that is displayed when parsing is completed.

With version 2.0, Object Master Universal offers users extended growth potential and expansion paths. The new version works seamlessly with MPW, THINK C, Symantec C++, and THINK Pascal, allowing users to create applications using multiple development environments. No additional modules are necessary - communication between Object Master and the development environments is performed via AppleEvents. In addition, the new version continues to support procedural programming as well as object-oriented programming, offering users a smooth transition path from purely procedural programming to object-oriented programming.

Other new features in Object Master Universal 2.0 include modeless search dialogs, project history lists, filters for class/file displays, and support for Apple's SourceServer and AppleScript. The new AppleScript support allows users to submit queries on the project, automate common tasks, and add custom menus.

For more information, contact ACI US, Inc., 10351 Bubb Road , Cupertino, CA 95014, Voice: 408/252-4444, Fax: 408/252-0831, AppleLink: D4444.

More new Inside Macs

Apple Computer, Inc. and Addison-Wesley Publishing Company announce the new Inside Macintosh, a completely revised and restructured edition of Apple's definitive guide to developing software applications for Macintosh computers.

The next two volumes of the new Inside Macintosh series are now available. They are Inside Macintosh: QuickTime Components and Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication.

Inside Macintosh: QuickTime Components, a companion volume to Inside Macintosh: QuickTime, describes how you can use or develop QuickTime Components such as clock components, image compressors, movie controllers, sequence grabbers, and video digitizers.

Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication shows programmers how to develop applications that work together in a cooperative environment. It describes how applications can share data with other applications, respond to scripts, and automate repetitive tasks.

For more information, contact Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867, Voice: 617/944-3700.

[To order any of the New Inside Macintosh volumes at a discount and delivered to your door, check the MacTech Magazine Mail Order Store for ordering information. Or, contact one of the customer service addresses listed on Page 2 of this issue. - Ed.]

New Project Management Utility

ProjectServer is a new product from Shipwright Development Corp. designed to link two or more programs to perform new functions that neither could do separately. ProjectServer allows FileMaker Pro and MacProject Pro to work together on a network, interchange data, and automatically update one another - plus the project managers and professionals using either of the two Claris Corp. applications.

Automated Data Exchange: Now, MacProject Pro users can get their project files updated automatically from a multi-user FileMaker Pro database. In addition, FileMaker Pro users can initiate standard projects (using MacProject Pro templates) and receive relevant project data from MacProject Pro users.

ProjectServer works like this: A MacProject Pro file is saved into a ProjectServer folder on the workgroup's server. ProjectServer exports time and task info to a FileMaker Pro database. In FileMaker, each workgroup member has a screen listing their his/her tasks in all project files in the folder; when a task is completed the person checks a check box, and ProjectServer sends it back to the appropriate MacProject Pro file.

ProjectServer Enabled by AppleEvents: Shipwright conceived the idea about three years ago, but ProjectServer wasn't possible until AppleEvents were incorporated in MacProject and FileMaker Pro last summer. Employing UserLand's Frontier AppleEvent development environment, Shipwright is apparently the first company to produce an automated, workgroup-focused link between MacProject Pro and FileMaker Pro - both of which are Market leaders in their respective categories.

Only one ProjectServer application is needed to serve a workgroup of about 20 people. Price is $2000 for the first server, with a sliding scale for multiple servers on a site. Macintosh IIci computers or better are required, with a minimum of 7MB of memory to operate the three program system.

For more information, contact Shipwright Development Corp., 44 Farguhar Street, Boston, MA 02131, Voice: 617/323-7923.

QuickCode Pro

Natural Intelligence, Inc. has released QuickCode Pro, the procedure editing assistant for ACI US' 4th Dimension development environment. QuickCode Pro dramatically enhances the 4th Dimension procedure editing environment by offering over 100 new features which simplify and accelerate script writing. Demo versions of QuickCode Pro are available on most online services.

QuickCode Pro allows the user to: use "hot keys" to navigate procedures with the ease of a word processor; automatically comment multiple lines of code with a single keystroke (without the current danger of losing characters past the 80th position); drag and drop text from one part of the procedure to another; save and load a procedure to and from a text file; have five additional, macro capable clipboards which save between development sessions; check the balance of your parentheses, brackets, braces, and quotes; global search and replace in one or many procedures.

For more information, contact Natural Intelligence, Inc., 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140, Voice: 617/876-4876, Fax: 617/492-7425.

Heizer ships Double-XX

Heizer Software announced today that it is shipping Double-XX, a development tool for creating stand alone applications from XCMDs. Now, experienced HyperTalk scriptors and XCMD users can build applications for both custom and commercial use.

Double-XX uses XCMDs as building blocks. Developers "glue" them together with lines of HyperTalk to create stand alone applications. As the most recent addition to the Heizer Select Series (a collection of HyperCard-related development tools from Heizer Software), Double-XX provides the final link in the HyperTalk development chain.

To create an application, the HyperTalk developer simply selects resources (XCMDs, PICTs, ICONs, etc.); defines the menus; and decides on other determinants. Double-XX combines all the elements into a shell containing a very complete HyperTalk interpreter and a XCMD interface.

Depending on how the final application is configured, Double-XX will add between 75K and 150K of additional resources. A finished application will require a minimum of only 160K of RAM (plus the developer’s requirements).

For more information, contact Heizer Software, 1941 Oak Blvd., #30, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523, Voice: 510/943-7667, Fax: 510/943-6882, AppleLink: DO477, America Online: HEIZER SW, CompuServe: 73200,274.

C Access to 4D

ACI has announced 4D Open, the Application Programming Interface (API) for connectivity to 4D Server, the client/server database for the Macintosh. 4D Open consists of a set of Pascal and C libraries which enables easy access to 4D Server from various client machines. Any foreign client can connect to 4D Server through a network and perform database operations, such as adding, modifying, or consulting data.

4D Open can be included in custom in-house C and Pascal developments. For 4th Dimension users who want to connect to several servers, creating departmental or interdepartmental middle distributed systems, 4D Open is ideal as an external routine for 4th Dimension and 4D Client.

4D Open internally manages calling network components to send requests and receive results from the servers: A 4D Open search algorithm in C or Pascal does not need to be rewritten depending on the network protocol you are using. 4D Open has no limit except memory in terms of number of connections. Connections can simultaneously use different network protocols.

4D Open provides many additional features, such as named selections, read-write and read-only modes, and data access privileges for security. 4D Open also provides C and Pascal interface files, libraries, and resource files to be used with MPW (411 files are provided) and the Think development environments.

For more information, contact ACI US, Inc., 10351 Bubb Road , Cupertino, CA 95014, Voice: 408/252-4444, Fax: 408/252-0831, AppleLink: D4444.