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[MD1] Roaster DR 2.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Natural Intelligence releases Roaster Developer Release 2.1

Cambridge, MA, July 18, 1996: Natural Intelligence, Inc. today released a
new version of their award-winning software package, Roaster(tm). Roaster is
the first development environment for creating applets in Sun(tm)
Microsystems, Inc.’s Java(tm) programming language on the Macintosh(r)
platform. This latest release, Roaster Developer Release 2.1, provides
Roaster subscribers with significant new functionality, fixes, and speed
improvements.

Roaster DR 2.1 features

The primary component in this release is the Roaster Debugger, which
offers both source and byte code level debugging. Major features of the
debugger include the ability to switch between source and byte code level
debugging on the fly, a variety of ‘stepping’ options, and dedicated
windows that enable developers to see elements of the inner workings of
objects.

Stepping: The stepping feature provides commands to: step in, step out,
step over, continuous over, continuous in, stop, kill, and go.

Breakpoints: Both “one-shot” breakpoints and permanent breakpoints can be
set in the debugger.

Windows: The ‘Local variable’ window enables developers to drill down into
objects to see their values. The ‘Stack chain’ window shows the chain of
methods that have been called to get to a particular point in the file.
Double-clicking one of these methods will show you where it is in the code
and set the local variables window to show the status of the local
variables at that frame. The ‘Class list’ window shows all loaded classes.
This window also provides the developer with the ability to “unload” a
class or classes and the ability to see the top few values on the runtime
stack.

Christopher Evans, the lead engineer on this release, noted that in
addition to the debugger, “numerous fixes as well as improvements to speed
on several operations, including compiling have been implemented in DR 2.1.”

When asked about the significance of this release and the company’s
future strategy for Roaster, Product Manager John Dhabolt commented that “This
release is the first step in our revamped product strategy. We are
releasing key functionality on a timely basis and are aggressively
improving our core components based on technology research and user
feedback.” Also on the Roaster agenda are visual tools and “just-in-time”
(JIT) compilation.

As a result of recent pricing strategy changes, customers will have the
added option of buying one non-developer release of Roaster from Natural
Intelligence for $129.00. A subscription to the Roaster development
environment is now $199, with an academic price of $69. The academic price
is available to university faculty and students. Previously, the product
had been sold in subscription form only. Those who purchased Roaster before
these price changes went into effect will receive an extension on their
current subscription.

About Natural Intelligence:

Established in 1987 with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Natural
Intelligence, Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive tools and
solutions for Java. Natural Intelligence products include Roaster and
Roaster Professional(tm), key tools for developing in Java. Natural
Intelligence’s Java Consulting Division provides a wide variety of
Java-related services, including custom development and Internet/Intranet
development. More information on Natural Intelligence can be found by
emailing info@natural.com or on the World Wide Web at www.natural.com.

Roaster and Roaster Professional are trademarks of Natural Intelligence,
Inc. All rights reserved.
Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Mac is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

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