Newsbits

By Scott T Boyd, Editor

What’s That Gestalt Value?

Rene Ros (rgaros@bio.vu.nl) released version 2.8 of the Gestalt Selectors List (GSL). It lists all sorts of information about the Gestalt Manager, but mainly about selectors and the meaning of the returned values. The Gestalt Manager is part of the Apple Macintosh System Software to enable programmers to determine the availability of certain software and hardware. You can obtain the latest version in several ways.

email: gestalt-selectors-list-request@bio.vu.nl
with subject: archive get recent/gestalt-selectors.etx
or to get the compressed version: archive get recent/gestalt-selectors.sit.hqx
ftp: ftp://sumex-aim.stanford.edu/info-mac/dev/info/gestalt-selectors-xx.hqx

You can also use any of its mirror sites.

World Wide Web: http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/faqs/source/gestalt.html
CompuServe: (GO MACDEV) in the Forum Business/Help (1) section.
America OnLine: MDV/Documents and Proposals directory.

Contributions (new info, remarks, etc.) for the list can be sent to
gestalt-selectors-list@bio.vu.nl

Bare Bones Does GX On The Internet?

Bare Bones Software, Inc. announced the immediate availability of version 3.1.1 of BBEdit, their popular and critically acclaimed text editor. This new version incorporates several significant enhancements to its feature set and capabilities. The update also features assorted fixes and performance improvements.

BBEdit now supports Quickdraw GX printing services. This enables BBEdit users to use the advanced print-job-control capabilities of Quickdraw GX, as well as use third-party extensions which enhance printing capabilities, such as the Peirce Print Tools.

BBEdit 3.1.1 features the ability to interact with Internet “helper” tools such as World-Wide Web browsers, FTP clients, and Usenet news readers. A new menu provides direct access to helper applications, and the new version provides the ability to resolve URLs simply by clicking on them or choosing a menu command. A “View HTML File” command assists in the previewing of HTML documents with the user’s chosen Web browser. The CD-ROM includes new HTML markup tools.

BBEdit 3.1.1 is available immediately as a free update for users of BBEdit 3.1. The updater can be found in a variety of Mac related archive sites on the Internet, in the file libraries of AOL, eWorld, and CompuServe, and on Bare Bones Software’s own FTP site (ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/bb/bbsw/bbedit-311-upd.hqx). Finally, Bare Bones Software will be sending out updater disks to all customers who purchased BBEdit 3.1 directly from them. Users of older commercial versions of BBEdit can upgrade for US$39 plus shipping. Questions are welcome at bbsw@netcom.com or (508) 651-3561.

It’s Magic! It’s CodeWarrior! It’s Both.

Metrowerks (VSE,MSE:MWK) and General Magic (Nasdaq:GMGC) announced their agreement for Metrowerks to introduce CodeWarrior Magic, a Macintosh-hosted toolkit for Magic Cap applications development. CodeWarrior Magic will be the first publicly-available toolkit for the Magic Cap platform, and its availability will mark the opening of the Magic Cap developer platform to developers outside of General Magic’s current developer program. Programmers proficient in C who purchase CodeWarrior Magic will be able to create applications for Magic Cap personal communicators.

The first version of CodeWarrior Magic, developer release DR1, will be supported on both 68K and Power Macintosh. It will be based on Metrowerks’ CodeWarrior MPW tools and on General Magic’s object-oriented development environment, the environment used by present Magic Cap developers to produce Magic Cap applications. CodeWarrior Magic is intended to allow developers to develop and debug Magic Cap applications directly on a Macintosh, giving them the opportunity to do much of their engineering work on a Macintosh prior to downloading applications to a Magic Cap personal communicator for final debugging. A subsequent version of CodeWarrior Magic is intended to contain General Magic components integrated into Metrowerks’ new object-oriented development environment.

CodeWarrior Magic DR1 will be priced at $299, and will include a free upgrade to the next release of CodeWarrior Magic (DR2) and two subsequent releases, as well as full network support from Metrowerks’ Technical Support group. Metrowerks plans to introduce CodeWarrior Magic DR1 right around the time you see this.

Metrowerks info: sales@metrowerks.com.
Magic Cap developer info: dev-info@genmagic.com.

SourceSafe Source Code Management

Microsoft announced the availability of Microsoft SourceSafe 3.1, its version control/configuration management system. The project-oriented approach to source-code control promotes code reuse and management of multiple releases while preventing accidental code loss or alteration.

It allows backtracking to previous versions, branching and merging, and offers security and audit-trail capabilities. It can be used as a central development manager by software developers using other Microsoft tools. Microsoft acquired SourceSafe as part of its purchase of One Tree Software, Inc. in November.

Microsoft SourceSafe supports MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT and Macintosh. It’s available now from software resellers for approximately $499 for a single-user license.