This area contains selected articles from develop, The Apple Technical Journal. We have included the entire table of contents to give you an idea of the information found in each issue. Subscribe through APDA and receive 4 quarterly issues, with the develop Bookmark CD, mailed to your doorstep for only $27 in the U.S. ($47 outside the U.S.) plus shipping and handling. Back issues are also available.

Feedback to the develop staff can be directed to Caroline Rose, editor, at crose@applelink.apple.com


Table of Contents

develop Issue 24 December 1995

Speeding Up whose Clause Resolution in Your Scriptable Application by Greg Anderson
Although the Object Support Library will resolve complex AppleScript clauses for you, if you take on some of the work yourself the performance gains can be dramatic.

Getting Started With OpenDoc Storage by Vincent Lo
OpenDoc storage is a departure from what you're used to: it needs to support storing different kinds of data, written by different part editors, in the same file or container

Sound Secrets by Kip Olson
These less obvious features of the Sound Manager will help improve your application's use of sound.

Guidelines for Effective Alerts by Paige K. Parsons
This article elaborates and expands on the guidelines for the consistent and correct usage of alerts.

Printing Images Faster With Data Compression by David Gelphman
PostScript Level 2 printers can accept JPEG-compressed image data directly, which can greatly improve printing speed. Here's what you need to know to take advantage of this ability.

The New Device Drivers: Memory Matters by Martin Minow
Using PrepareMemoryForIO to set up memory for data transfers to or from other devices is a complex -- but very important -- process. This walkthrough points out traps and pitfalls along the way.

According to Script: Steps to Scriptability by Cal Simone
A clear, step-by-step method for developing your particular scripting implementation.

Graphical Truffles: Making the Most of QuickDraw 3Dby Nick Thompson and Pablo Fernicola
A few tips for QuickDraw 3D that might make your life a little easier.

Balance of Power: Advanced Performance Profiling by Dave Evans
Some new and useful performance profiling features of the PowerPC 604 processor.

MPW Tips and Tricks: ToolServer Caveats and Carping by Tim Maroney
All about ToolServer, a small, scriptable application that can run MPW commands.

Macintosh Q & A
Apple's Developer Support Center answers queries about Macintosh product development.

The Veteran Neophyte by Dave Johnson
Dynamic languages are the future of programming. Or at least they ought to be.

Newton Q & A: Ask the Llama
Answers to Newton-related development queries.

KON & BAL's Puzzle Page by Konstantin Othmer and Bruce Leak
The original Puzzlers return with another merry romp through the guts of the machine.


develop Issue 23 September 1995

Download Issue 23 in Adobe Acrobat (8122K),
Open the Issue 23 Sample Code folder
from the develop folder on our ftp site.

Music the Easy Way: The QuickTime Music Architecture by David Van Brink
The QuickTime Music Architecture lets you easily add music to your application, without having to learn the intricacies of MIDI or sound production. Unleash the orchestra!
Download associated Sample Code (80K).

The Basics of QuickDraw 3D Geometries by Nick Thompson and Pablo Fernicola
Geometries are the backbone of any 3D graphics system. This article shows how the geometries in QuickDraw 3D fit in with the rest of the system, and how to make good use of them.
Download associated Sample Code (284K).

Implementing Shared Internet Preferences With Internet Config by Quinn "The Eskimo!"
This article examines a shared preferences solution for Internet applications: how to use it in your applications, and also how it works, using the Component Manager as a robust shared library mechanism.
Download associated Sample Code (664K).

Multipane Dialogs by Norman Franke
Dialog boxes with multiple panes are becoming more and more common. This implementation uses a scrolling list of icons to select panes.
Download associated Sample Code (147K).

Document Synchronization and Other Human Interface Issues by Mark H. Linton
The Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines say that a window's title should match the corresponding document's name at all times. Here's some code that will help you do that.
Download associated Sample Code (262K).

Print Hints: Syncing Up With ColorSync 2.0 by David Hayward
ColorSync version 2.0 dramatically improves the quality and performance of color management.

Balance of Power: Power Macintosh: The Next Generation by Dave Evans
The latest Power Macintosh computers are better than ever, as you'll see from this overview of new features.

MPW Tips and Tricks: Customizing Source Control With SourceServer by Tim Maroney
SourceServer is a "scriptable Projector," allowing extensive source control customization.
Download associated Sample Code (431K).

According to Script: Thinking About Dictionaries by Cal Simone
Tips on organizing your dictionary, and other assorted bits of wisdom and advice.

Macintosh Q & A
Apple's Developer Support Center answers queries about Macintosh product development.

The Veteran Neophyte: A Feel for the Thing by Dave Johnson
Computers are getting more and more like boomerangs. Goody.

Newton Q & A: Ask the Llama
Answers to Newton-related development questions, along with a bit of llama lore. Send in your own questions for a chance at a T-shirt.

KON & BAL'S Puzzle Page: Video Nightmare by Ian Hendry and Eric Anderson
Another intricate and entertaining enigma, this time from a pseudo KON & BAL.


develop Issue 22 June 1995

Download Issue 22 in Apple DocViewer, Issue 22 DocViewer Index,
or open the Issue 22 Sample Code folder from the develop folder on our ftp site.

QuickDraw 3D: A New Dimension for Macintosh Graphics by Pablo Fernicola and Nick Thompson
Introducing QuickDraw 3D, a powerful, flexible new 3D graphics package for the Power Macintosh. This article provides an architectural overview and shows how to support 3D data in your application.

Copland: The Mac OS Moves Into the Future by Tim Dierks
Here's a preview of the future of the Mac OS, detailing some of the major features and components and giving some suggestions about how to get ready for it now.

Creating PCI Device Drivers by Martin Minow
All about the new driver model on PCI-based Macintosh computers, and advice on porting existing drivers.
Download associated Sample Code (630K).

Custom Color Search Procedures by Jim Wintermyre
Learn about this useful method of customizing Color QuickDraw's color handling. A real-world graphics problem is investigated and then solved using a custom color search procedure and a hash table.
Download associated Sample Code (275K).

The OpenDoc User Experience by Dave Curbow and Elizabeth Dykstra-Erickson
This article provides an overview of OpenDoc from the user's perspective: understanding the user experience is a prerequisite to designing good part editors.

Futures: Don't Wait Forever by Greg Anderson
Futures are an invaluable abstraction for applications that handle multiple asynchronous Apple events, allowing cleaner code and eliminating the need for completion routines.
Download associated Sample Code (532K).

Balance of Power: MacsBug for PowerPC by Dave Evans and Jim Murphy
MacsBug changes with the times.

MPW Tips and Tricks: Building a Better (Development) Environment by Tim Maroney
Some things to think about when you're building a shared development environment.

According to Script: Scripting Quandaries by Cal Simone
Bits of wisdom and advice for developers supporting scripting in their applications.

The Veteran Neophyte: Paper Juggling by Dave Johnson
You can invent multiperson juggling patterns even if you're not a juggler. Really.
Download associated Sample Code (214K).

Macintosh Q & A
Apple's Developer Support Center answers questions about Macintosh product development.

Newton Q & A: Ask the Llama
Answers to Newton-related development questions; along with a bit of llama lore. Send in your own questions for a chance at a T-Shirt.
Download associated Sample Code (383K).

KON and BAL's Puzzle Page: A Brand Too Far by Chris Yerga
Yet another multifaceted mystery is unraveled before your very eyes, as guest puzzler Chris Yerga tries to stump the master.


develop Issue 21 March 1995

Download Issue 21 in Apple DocViewer, Issue 21 DocViewer Index,
or open the Issue 21 Sample Code folder from the develop folder on our ftp site.
Getting Started With OpenDoc Graphics by Kurt Piersol
OpenDoc provides very powerful document layout and imaging capabilities, but the basic graphics tasks that everyone nees to accomplish aren't much more complex. Here are some recipes to get you started.
Download associated Sample Code (13K).

A First Look at Dylan: Classes, Functions, and Modules by Steve Strassmann
Dylan has fundamentally different notions about classes and methods than C++, notions that make specifying and using methods simpler and more expressive. Here's an overview of the Dylan way of doing things.
Download associated Sample Code (30K).

Designing a Scripting Implementation by Cal Simone
The design of your application's scripting vocabulary is as important as the design of your user interface. These guidelines will help you create a clean and consistent scripting vocabulary.

An Object-Oriented Approach to Hierarchical Lists by Jan Bruyndonckx
This article shows how to implement the hierarchical lists described in Issue 18 (and other custom list types) in PowerPlant, CodeWarrior's
Download associated Sample Code (172K).

Balance of Power: Introducing PowerPC Assembly Language by Dave Evans
You won't often need to write it, but you'll surely have to read it and debug it. Get the basics here.

MPW Tips and Tricks: Launching MPW Faster Than a Speeding Turtle by Tim Maroney
The first installment of a new column to help you get the most out of MPW. This time: speeding up MPW's launching.
Download associated Sample Code (26K).

Print Hints: Writing QuickDraw GX Drivers With Custom I/O and Buffering by Dave Hersey
Here's what you'll need to know to write a QuickDraw GX driver that uses custom I/O or buffering schemes.
Download associated Sample Code (261K).

Somewhere in QuickTime: Choosing the Right Codec by John Wang
Compressor/decompressor components vary widely in their capabilities and limitations. Learn how to pick the right one.
Download associated Sample Code (212K).

Macintosh Q&A
Apple's Developer Support Center answers queries about Macintosh product development.

The Veteran Neophyte: The Downside by Dave Johnson
Programming is great. . .most of the time.

Newton Q & A: Ask the Llama
Answers to Newton-related development questions; you can send in your own.
Download associated Sample Code (81K).

KON and BAL's Puzzle Page: Printing Painsby Josh Horwich
Josh attempts to flummox KON with yet another series of events that lead to a bus error.

The Art of Human Computing: Finger-Coded Binary by Tobias Engler
Trapped in the wilderness with dead batteries? Don't despair: you can still twiddle bits around the campfire.


develop Issue 20 December 1994

Download Issue 20 in Apple DocViewer, Issue 20 DocViewer Index,
or open the Issue 20 Sample Code folder from the develop folder on our ftp site.
Getting the Most out of AOCE Catalog Records by Christine Buttin
AOCE templates let you extend AOCE catalogs to store new kinds of data. This article introduces you to writing AOCE templates by providing an example template that extends the built-in User record.
Download associated Sample Code (125K).

Exploring Advanced AOCE Templates Through Celestial Mechanics by Harry R. Chesley
AOCE templates allow you to specify how the Finder displays your data and how the user interacts with it. This article shows how to use some of the more advanced features of the template mechanism.
Download associated Sample Code (58K).

Make Your Own Sound Components by Kip Olson
Sound Manager 3.0 supports plug-in components for compression, decompression, custom hardware support, and more. This introduction to Sound Manager components will get you started.
Download associated Sample Code (345K).

Scripting the Finder From Your Application by Greg Anderson
The System 7.5 Finder is OSL-compliant, opening the door to full scriptability and to direct manipulation through Apple events. Here's how to talk to the Scriptable Finder from your application.
Download associated Sample Code (463K).

NetWare Development on PowerPC by Jamie Osborne
With NetWare now on the Power Macintosh, you may want to write your network products to use it. This introduction to the NetWare environment includes a simple sample module.
Download associated Sample Code (297K).

Somewhere in QuickTime: Supporting Text Tracks in Your Application by Nick Thompson
How to support text tracks in your application, allowing both searching and editing.
Download associated Sample Code (150K).

Graphical Truffles: A Space-Saving PICT Trick by Guillermo A. Ortiz and Dave Johnson
If you're storing a large set of pictures with the same colors, here's a neat trick to reduce its size.
Download associated Sample Code (273K).

Print Hints: Improving QuickDraw GX Printer Driver Performance by Dave Hersey
Understanding QuickDraw GX buffering will help you fine-tune the performance of your printer driver.

Balance of Power: PowerPC Branch Prediction by Dave Evans
Is it science or is it hokum? Only your branch prediction unit knows for sure.

Macintosh Q&A
Apple's Developer Support Center answers questions about Macintosh product development.


Feedback to the develop staff can be directed to Caroline Rose, editor: crose@applelink.apple.com.

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last modified by lf on 22-May-95