NeXT Nugget News Digest (vol. 4, issue 13, September 15, 1992) TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Short Course: Object-Oriented Programming on NeXTSTEP II. DBkit Documentation Update III. Announcing Digital Function Generator Software for NeXTSTEP IV. Announcing the release of AUDIO CHALLENGER 1.7 for NeXTSTEP V. CuillaMartin Company Announces Calculator Set VI. CuillaMartin Company Announces DefaultManager for NeXTSTEP VII. NeXTSTEP Software Positions available at Oceania ____________________________________________________________________ To submit articles or announcements to appear in the Nugget Digest, please send your contributions to the following address: user_groups@next.com. Conrad Geiger Manager, International NeXT User Groups P.S. I hope to see those of you that attend the Seybold Conference in San Francisco next week (September 23-25). ____________________________________________________________________ I. Short Course: Object-Oriented Programming and the NeXTSTEP Development Environment John R. Glover University of Houston August 1992 The notes are located in /pub/next/submissions/UHOOP_3.0.tar.Z on Purdue archive site. These are notes used in a 3-day short course taught occasionally at the University of Houston. Included here is the schedule used in teaching the course, the notes themselves, the lab exercises, and several additional example programs. The notes here are updates to the August 1991 edition. I have updated everything to NeXTSTEP 3.0, added to and improved many parts, and corrected known errors. The notes are sized for landscape presentation on the screen with a video projector. They are most easily used as follows: Call up the desired chapter in WriteNow. Set the magnification of the window to 125% and resize the window to fill the screen. Click on the page forward/backward buttons to move through the notes. You can modify selected pages in each chapter to give "progressive disclosure" of the several points on each page. For hardcopy of the notes, you can either print out the notes as they are so that each class participant has a full-size page of what is on the screen, or you can print the pages in 4 Up (Page/Page Layout... ) to reduce the printing volume. In either case, I suggest you provide a three-ring binder of the notes to each participant. The Labs folder contains laboratory exercises 2-9, as listed in the Schedule. To prepare the labs for use, you must first go to the project directories within the Solution and Extension directories of each lab and type "make." Or, have each student do so after copying the lab to his/her own folder. (I removed the object and executable files to make this package smaller.) The Examples folder contains some programming examples I have collected. A couple are referred to in the notes and labs. To run these you must also go to each one and type "make." There is a file in the Labs folder named Labs.README which gives instructions on how each student should set up to use the labs. These notes were developed and adapted from many sources, including my old NeXT Developer Camp notes and several other sources I cannot even remember. For that reason I am making them public. They are being made public under guidelines similar to that of gnu software. That is, I ask that you make these notes, or any notes derived from these notes, freely available to others, giving appropriate credit to the original source(s). If anyone sends me corrections or suggested changes, I will incorporate them and update these notes in the future, again making them available to all. If anyone wishes to add their own notes on OOP, NeXTSTEP, IB, etc., I will be happy to merge them in some fashion that makes sense and make the combined notes available to all. John R. Glover Electrical Engineering Department University of Houston Houston, Texas 77204-4793 glover@uh.edu ____________________________________________________________________ II. DBkit Documentation Update Between 3.0 PR2 and the final 3.0 Release, there was a minor DBKit API change that didn't make into the online technical documentation and one DBKit example in the release. If you are interested, you can get the new AddressBook example via anonymous ftp (file transfer protocol) from one of the following Internet archive servers. Note that they may still be in /pub/next/submissions. ________________________________________________________ hostname MiniExamples-directory ________________________________________________________ cs.orst.edu pub/next/documents/NeXTanswers/MiniExample (may still be in pub/next/submissions) sonata.cc.purdue.edu pub/next/docs/MiniExamples (may still be in pub/next/submissions) MiniExamples are small programming examples provided by NeXT Developer Support. Each one contains its own README file. The August 92 Release contains 2 miniexamples for the 3.0 NeXTStep Release. The AddressBook example shows you some simple usage of the DBKit Access Layer such as how to get connected to a SYBASE server, and how to do simple operations such as select, update, and delete. This example supersedes the same example that comes with the 3.0 Release under /NextDeveloper/Examples/DatabaseKit that doesn't work properly. Please note that the on-line documentation for the method saveModifications: for DBRecordList has some errors. A return value 0 should mean success. Here are the corrections for DBRecordList. The possible return values from saveModifications: are as follows: Value Reason 0 The save operation was successful. 1 The save completed but not all records were saved. This happens if errors are encountered but the delegate requests that the save proceeds anyway. DB_NoIndex - Either the DBRecordList isn't ready (its status is DB_NotReady or DB_NoRecordKey), or one or more records in the database have changed since they were fetched and the delegate hasn't forced the modifications to be saved. (See recordStream:willFailForReason: (DBRecordStream)) The TextORama example is a 2.0 example adapted to 3.0. It illustrates two things: 1. How to create a TextField which supports one or more of these features: - Restricting text length (both when typing and pasting). - Autojumping to another TextField when maximum length is reached. - Interpreting a carriage return literally rather than as an indication to end editing. 2. How to implement emacs key binding support for the Text object. Enjoy! Mai Developer Support ____________________________________________________________________ III. Announcing Digital Function Generator Software for NeXTSTEP For Immediate Release Contact: Marek Roland-Mieszkowski August 25, 1992 Tel: (902) 429-9622 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada E-mail: mmieszko@ac.dal.ca DIGITAL RECORDINGS RELEASES DFG (DIGITAL FUNCTION GENERATOR) SOFTWARE FOR NeXT COMPUTERS Halifax, August 25, 1992 - Digital Recordings announced today official release of Digital Function Generator (DFG) software for NeXT computers. - The DFG/NeXT combination is a powerful tool for generating arbitrary sounds of arbitrary complexity and ultimate quality. Since DFG does not use DSP resources (Motorola 56001 chip), it can run simultaneously with such applications as the Digital Oscilloscope and Spectrum Analyzer (both applications come with NeXT). Therefore, the single DFG/NeXT combination can be used to perform sophisticated tests and experiments, since it can synthesize and analyze signals at the same time. The DFG is an ideal signal source for many applications in the field of acoustics, psychoacoustics, physics, architecture, audiology, electronics, electroacoustics, vibration measurements and transducer testing. Software Specifications / Parameters: - Stereo output - different waveforms can be synthesized in two independent channels. - Frequency range from 0 to 20,000 Hz. - Frequency stability +/- 0.0001 Hz (accuracy of the quartz clock). - Amplitude adjustable continuously from -140 to 0 dB or from 0 to 32,767. - Phase adjustable continuously from 0 to 360 degrees. - S/N ratio = 95 dB (with dither). - No harmonic and no intermodulation distortion. - DFG does not use DSP resources (Motorola DSP 56001 processor), therefore the DFG, Digital Oscilloscope and Spectrum Analyzer can run simultaneously. - The simultaneous playback of sound by DFG and the recording of this sound via microphone input or the stereo A/D interface (from Singular Solutions, Ariel or MetaResearch) allows for very flexible testing and experimental procedures. - Generated sounds are written to standard stereo, linear 16-bit soundfiles (*.snd). These files can be used in other sound applications such as sound editors. Complex sounds can be saved for fast retrieval and playback. - Available Signals: sine wave, square wave, triangular wave, sawtooth wave, pulse, white noise, AM, FM and AFM modulation, frequency sweep, amplitude sweep, amplitude plus frequency sweep, additive synthesis, etc. DFG Modules The Digital Function Generator software consists of five modules: 1. Principles of Digital Audio - for generating pure tones and white noise, to illustrate concepts of signal amplitude, frequency, phase, interference, coherence, incoherence, signal ramping, additive synthesis, beats, virtual pitch as well as to demonstrate quantization, dithering, aliasing / hard clipping / harmonic / intermodulation distortions, etc. 2. Modulation (AM, FM, AFM) - for generating amplitude modulated tones (AM), frequency modulated tones (FM) and amplitude plus frequency modulated tones (AFM). 3. Additive Synthesis - for generating complex sounds synthesized from their Fourier components. 4. Sweep Generator (AS, FS & AFS) - for generating linear, logarithmic, up or down types of amplitude sweeps (AS), frequency sweeps (FS) and amplitude plus frequency sweeps (AFS). 5. Function Generator - for generating waves such as sine, square, triangular, sawtooth, pulse and to generate white noise. Use of DFG in Teaching and Research The quality of signals generated with DFG is higher than the quality of signals available on most test CDs. Also, DFG can generate a much wider variety of test signals than are available on CDs. This proved to be very helpful in both teaching and research. Teachers' and students' satisfaction with DFG has been very high. Concepts which have often been difficult or even impossible to demonstrate with standard equipment, can now be easily demonstrated, both acoustically and visually, with the DFG/NeXT/A/D64x combination.This dramatically increased the speed of learning and the level of understanding. For more information about the DFG software and how to order it please contact: Marek Roland-Mieszkowski, Ph.D. Digital Recordings 5959 Spring Garden Rd., Suite 1103 Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H-1Y5 Canada Tel: (902) 429-9622 E-mail: mmieszko@ac.dal.ca ____________________________________________________________________ IV. Announcing the release of AUDIO CHALLENGER 1.7 for NeXTSTEP "Audio Challenger 1.0" was the first ear-training software released for the NeXT computer and version 1.7 offers substantial improvements. Audio Challenger randomly generates ascending and descending melodic and harmonic musical intervals which can be used in assisting music students in trying to improve their ability to aurally identify musical intervals. Audio Challenger features real-time synthesis on the DSP (digital signal processing) chip of the NeXT computer which gives it the advantage of a more natural and "lively" musical timbre than ear-training programs that currently exist on other platforms. Audio Challenger is released as FREEware to the internet archives by the researchers and students of DREAMS: Digital Research (in) Electro-Acoustic Music (at) Skidmore College. **To request a copy of Audio Challenger via NeXTmail, simply send your request to: tholland@pars.skidmore.edu and be sure to make clear your NeXTmail address. **If you have access to the INTERNET, you can use anonymous FTP to get your most recent copy of Audio Challenger (1.7). [princeton.edu][sonata.cc.purdue.edu][cs.orst.edu] AudioChallenger.app = .133 MB AudioChallenger.tar = .141 MB AudioChallenger.tar.Z = 63.6 KB IMPROVEMENTS in Version 1.7 include: 1. Ability to have melodic or harmonic intervals. (i.e. notes played one at a time or simultaneously) 2. A new "Sample Melodies" window, which will play "well known" tunes... (incipits for you musicologists out there) to give you a memory device for learning your intervals. (Special thanks to Jennifer Kong at Skidmore for this part !). SPECIAL INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: only one, in order for the sample tunes to work properly, you must do the following: First, create the following path of new directories on your disk: /LocalLibrary/Music/Scores You're going to copy the scorefiles into that last (Scores) directory. Now, highlight the AudioChallenger.app in your directory browser. Hold down the command key AND the shift key and press the letter 'o'. You'll see that AudioChallenger is actually a directory containing many files (all .app files are a type of directory). Now, find all the files ending with a .score extension in the AudioChallenger.app directory. These files are in the path: Library/Music/Scores "inside" the AudioChallenger.app. Drag the mouse across all the .score files. In the browser you'll see a hand holding a bunch of cards. Drag this hand icon into the new /LocalLibrary/Music/Scores directory you just created at the start. You should now be able to hear the tunes listed in the "Sample Melodies" window. Comments, suggestions, etc. to: tholland@pars.skidmore.edu ____________________________________________________________________ V. CuillaMartin Company Announces Calculator Set FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 1992 The CuillaMartin Company Announces Calculator Set Upgrade for NeXTSTEP GRAYSLAKE, Ill. - CuillaMartin Company today announced a major upgrade to the Calculator Set from CuillaMartin for the NeXTSTEP platform. Calculator Set from CuillaMartin, now version 1.1, is a significant upgrade to version 1.0, which has been shipping since May 1992. "We've received tremendous feedback from our Customers and have enhanced our product to better address their needs. We've combined the previously seperate programs into a single application, added some new features, improved Scientific and Basic," said Chris Cuilla, president of CuillaMartin Company. "The set has also been expanded. It includes Basic, Scientific and the five Conversion categories (Volume & Capacity, Mass & Weight, Length, Area, Temperature), but now adds a Business calculator, with eight major functions." Calculator Set 1.1 from CuillaMartin is scheduled to begin shipping in October, and will be fully compliant with NeXTSTEP Release 3.0, completely 3.0-savvy, including NeXTSTEP Help. The Calculator Set 1.1 from CuillaMartin will be available through NeXTConnection (800.800.6398), a variety of NeXT resellers, and directly from the CuillaMartin Company (708.223.5164). For more details, contact the CuillaMartin Company at 708.223.5164. CuillaMartin is trademark of CuillaMartin Company. All other trademarks belong to their respective manufactures. ____________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September, 1992 The CuillaMartin Company Announces DefaultManager for NeXTSTEP GRAYSLAKE, Ill. - The CuillaMartin Company today announced DefaultManager 3.0 for the NeXTSTEP platform. DefaultManager 3.0 from CuillaMartin, is a major, commercial upgrade to previous versions, created by Drew Davidson, that have been available on the Internet archives, and will now be fully supported by the CuillaMartin Company. DefaultManager 3.0 from CuillaMartin allows users, programmers and network managers to easily access, modify, store and retrieve default settings for most NeXTSTEP applications with a convenient, simple NeXTSTEP interface. One exciting feature, attractive to system administrators, is the ability to open the default databases for multiple users at once, change them, and save them. DefaultManager 3.0 from CuillaMartin is scheduled to begin shipping in November, and will be fully compliant with NeXTSTEP Release 3.0. The DefaultManager 3.0 from CuillaMartin will be available through NeXTConnection (800.800.6398), a variety of NeXT resellers, and directly from the CuillaMartin Company (708.223.5164). ____________________________________________________________________ VII. NeXTSTEP Software Positions available at Oceania Oceania Health Care Systems is a growing start-up software development company dedicated to improving patient care through a progressive approach aimed at providing health care information management solutions. Oceania is committed to utilizing industry standards, maintaining an open architecture, incorporating the newest advances in hardware, networking/communication and software technologies, and changing the notion of the human machine interface. Our goal is the development of a state of the art computer human interface and database for the clinical environment. Oceania extends this progressive philosophy to its corporate management and operations. We are committed to a democratic management approach and high quality working environment which includes flexible hours, medical benefits, and aggressive profit sharing plans. We seek qualified candidates to work in our Palo Alto, California location in the following areas: System Administration and Support: Perform traditional system administration duties, customer support, and quality assurance. The individual will need Unix experience, and networking. NeXT NetInfo a plus. BS/BA in an engineering related degree with 3-5 years of experience. Network Designer: Perform the design and implementation of a distributed application. The individual will need UNIX, OLTP, Network, TCP/IP, LU6.2, and Client/Server application experience. MS/PhD in an engineering related degree with 5-10 years of experience. Software Implementers: Implementation of a clinical health care application. The individual will need, OOD, GUI, UNIX, networking, and database experience. NeXT, multi-media, and Health Care experience a plus. BS/MS in an engineering related degree with 3-10 years of experience. Senior Software Developers: Design and Implementation of a clinical health care application. The individual will need strong writing and communication skills, OOD, GUI, UNIX, networking, and database experience. NeXT, multi-media, and Health Care experience a plus. MS/PhD in an engineering related degree with 5-15 years of experience. Both full and part-time positions are available with start time and compensation package negotiable. All interested in Oceania and its endeavors are encouraged to mail or FAX a CV/Resume (please no electronic mail) , indicating the position(s) you are interested in, to: Edmund Billings, Jr. MD. 325 Lytton Avenue. Suite 400 Palo Alto, CA 94301 FAX: (415) 322-0142 ____________________________________________________________________ end