Tools: MPW
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MPW Advantages

COST

  • MPW (including complete documentation) is available free from the Apple Developer FTP site!

WORK ENVIRONMENT

  • The MPW editor lets you edit files of any size, not just those that will fit in available memory.
  • The MPW editor allows each window to be split into an unlimited number of panes.
  • The MPW editor includes a customizable tool bar inside each window, making access to the bar handier than in systems where the bar doesn't move with the window.
  • Individual editing windows can be hidden to reduce screen clutter.
  • The MPW editor supports multiple levels of Undo.
  • The MPW editor supports drag and drop editing.
  • Any command or sequence of commands can be entered manually from an editing window, executed from a text file, or triggered upon selection of a menu item.
  • "Commando" dialogs provide you with a helpful visual interface for specifying command parameters.
  • MPW commands support UNIX-style piping and filtering for data processing flexibility.
  • UNIX tools can be trivially ported to run in the MPW environment. Some examples of those that have been ported are awk, bison, yacc, lex, diff, flex, sed, perl, python, tags, and gcc.
  • Results of MPW commands can be redirected to any open window or to a new or existing file.
  • Commonly-used commands can be kept in the Worksheet window for rapid, convenient access.
  • All of the MPW key bindings can be customized to suit your preferences. For example, you could emulate the vi or emacs editor command keys.
  • You can easily assign your own names to any set of commands.
  • Windows can be set to auto-save their contents, eliminating the need to explicitly save.
  • You can print out highly-customized source listings which include headers, line numbers, borders, watermarks, and page breaks.
  • Text markers can be added by hand or programmatically by scripts and can be navigated using the marker browser.
  • MPW comes with ToolServer - a complete tool and script execution environment extracted from the MPW Shell that can be used to execute time-consuming, noninteractive tools or scripts in the background or on a remote machine.
  • ToolServer can also be used to execute MPW tools and scripts from third-party applications or development environments.

TOOLS

  • The MPW build tools, as well as many of the other tools, run in native mode on a Power Macintosh.
  • MPW includes MrC and MrCpp, highly-optimizing C/C++ PowerPC compilers that enable you to squeeze extra performance out of your code.
  • MPW includes SC and SCpp, optimizing C/C++ 68K compilers that support both the Classic 68K and the CFM-68K runtime models.
  • MPW includes full-featured macro assemblers for both 68K and PowerPC development.
  • MPW includes ILink, a Classic 68K and CFM-68K incremental linker that links compiled object files, static libraries and shared libraries into an application, tool, shared library or code resource.
  • MPW includes PPCLink, a PowerPC linker that links compiled object files, static libraries and shared libraries into a static library, a shared library, or an executable code fragment such as an application.
  • The MPW linkers can combine code written in different languages such as C, C++, assembly language, Pascal and Fortran.
  • The Rez resource compiler gives you the opportunity to define resource types textually, using comments and mnemonic constants to improve readability and maintainability.
  • Using the DeRez tool, you can generate source code for all resources, including those you may have created using a visual editor.
  • Tools are provided to perform a variety of useful housekeeping operations on resource forks, including corruption detection and equivalency tests.
  • The ModPEF and MergeFragment tools allow you to extract, delete, modify and merge PEF fragments.
  • The MakeStub tool allows you to create PowerPC, CFM-68K and "fat" stub libraries.
  • MPW has a variety of tools for examining post-compilation and post-link files, including 68K object files, 68K code resources, XCOFF files, PEF containers, and SYM files.
  • MPW comes with a rich set of performance measurement and analysis tools.
  • Tools are provided for comparing two text files and providing a complete description of their differences. The CompareFiles script makes merging two versions of a source file very easy.
  • Tools are provided to simplify the sorting, merging, and purging of lists of information.
  • MPW has commands that let you manipulate invisible files.
  • For convenience, the output of many tools is in the form of executable statements. In the case of an error statement, you can execute it to go directly to the offending line of source code.
  • The Backup tool makes it easy to synchronize a working folder with a master backup folder.
  • The Choose tool lets you programmatically mount and unmount servers.
  • The SetFile command lets you set the attributes of a file, including type, creator, creation date, modification date, icon location, etc.
  • The SetVersion tool lets you programmatically create or increment version number resources.

BUILD SYSTEM

  • MPW supports the use of Make files, allowing fine-tuned control over the build process.
  • The Make system lets you apply different compiler options to different source file compilations. Most other development environments use the same set of options for all source files in a project.
  • "Starter" Make files can be quickly created with the CreateMake tool.
  • The Make system allows you to build multiple targets and "fat" binaries. This is not possible with some development environments.
  • Multiple builds can be chained together, thus allowing very complex build requests to be executed easily and without intervention.

SCRIPTING SYSTEM

  • MPW has an integrated scripting system you can use to perform operations of arbitrary complexity.
  • The MPW scripting language supports regular-expression pattern matching, making possible complex text manipulation operations.
  • The MPW scripting language allows the use of wildcard characters, making it easier to specify a group of files on which to operate.
  • You can easily extend the MPW scripting system by writing your own commands.
  • The MPW scripting system is fast.
  • MPW has the ability to launch any application and to control any AppleScript-aware application.
  • You can trigger MPW scripts remotely from other applications that are able to send AppleScript commands.

TEAM DEVELOPMENT

  • MPW comes with Projector, an integrated source code control system.
  • You can access third-party source code control systems from MPW, including Perforce, CVS, and SourceSafe.
  • A standalone version of Projector, called SourceServer, can be used with any development environment that is able to send AppleEvent commands to it.

HELP SYSTEM

  • MPW provides convenient hot-key access to the Macintosh Programmer's Assistant help databases. Simply highlight the name of a toolbox routine in the editor and press the hot key to display information about it.
  • MPW provides a hot key to return the template for the selected toolbox function.
  • MPW has comprehensive man-page help for its own commands.

SUMMARY

MPW's broad array of support tools and automation capabilities are useful for everyone, even those using other development environments for day-to-day compile-debug-test cycles.

 
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