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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!pad-thai.aktis.com!pad-thai.aktis.com!not-for-mail
From: Daryl_Spitzer@mindlink.bc.ca (Daryl Spitzer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,news.answers
Subject: Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer FAQ Part 1/2 (1/12/93)
Supersedes: <macintosh/programmer-faq/part1_746164809@GZA.COM>
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Date: 31 Aug 1993 00:00:13 -0400
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Distribution: world
Expires: 21 Sep 1993 04:00:09 GMT
Message-ID: <macintosh/programmer-faq/part1_746769609@GZA.COM>
Reply-To: Daryl_Spitzer@mindlink.bc.ca
NNTP-Posting-Host: pad-thai.aktis.com
Summary: Frequently Asked Questions list for comp.sys.mac.programmer
Keywords: frequently asked questions faq
X-Last-Updated: 1993/01/20
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.programmer:68126 news.answers:11921
Archive-name: macintosh/programmer-faq/part1
Last-modified: 1993/01/12
+---------------------------------+
| Frequently Asked Questions List |
| for Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer |
| January 12, 1993 |
| PART ONE |
+---------------------------------+
This FAQ list is automatically posted once a week to comp.sys.mac.programmer.
It is also available via anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.uoregon.edu [128.223.8.8]
(user name 'anonymous', your internet address as password) in the files
/pub/mac/csmp-faq-1 and /pub/mac/csmp-faq-2.
This FAQ list is maintained by Daryl Spitzer. He can be reached at the
following addresses:
Internet: Daryl_Spitzer@mindlink.bc.ca
SnailMail: 203 - 1385 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver, BC (Canada)
V6H 1M2
The purpose of the FAQ list is to answer some of the most common questions
asked on this group, and to refer people left with unanswered questions to
available sources of additional help. You should read the FAQ list before
posting to comp.sys.mac.programmer.
Submissions, comments, etcetera, should be sent to Daryl Spitzer, as above.
All such material sent will be considered to have entered the public domain
(and will be subject to editing) unless specific text to the contrary
accompanies the message (which may render the submission unusable).
Changes since August 3, 1992
----------------------------
- the keeper of the FAQ is now Daryl Spitzer (Daryl_Spitzer@mindlink.bc.ca)
- 1.2 Debuggers:
added Fritz Anderson's description of SourceBug
- 2.1 The Associates and Partners Programs:
new description, DEVHOTLINE is no longer a valid AppleLink address
- 2.3 APDA
new address and telephone numbers
- 3.1.1 Technical Books
new Inside Macintosh volumes
- 3.1.3 Periodicals:
MacTutor is now MacTech
Table of Contents
-----------------
Part One (this file)
---------------------
I. Development Software
1. Compilers
2. Debuggers
3. Other Tools
II. Apple Developer Programs
1. The Associates and Partners Programs
2. Apple Developer University
3. APDA
4. Developer CDs
III. Sources of Information
1. Books and Periodicals
1. Technical Books
2. Teaching Books
3. Periodicals
2. Mailing Lists
1. Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer Digest
2. Think Class Library Discussion
3. MacPsych
3. Miscellaneous
1. Usenet Mac Programmer's Guide (UMPG)
2. Kent Sandvik's Frequently Asked MPW C++ and MacApp
Questions
3. Comp.Sys.Mac.FAQ
IV. Archive Sites
1. ftp.apple.com [130.43.2.3]
2. sumex-aim.stanford.edu [36.44.0.6]
3. rascal.ics.utexas.edu [128.83.138.20]
4. mac.archive.umich.edu [141.211.164.153]
5. ftp.cs.uoregon.edu [128.223.8.8]
6. ics.uci.edu [128.195.1.1]
7. ftp.brown.edu [128.148.176.55]
8. comp.binaries.mac [newsgroup]
V. One-liners
1. The Main Loop and Events
2. Menus
3. Resources
4. Windows, Alerts, and Dialogs
5. Drawing
6. Files
7. Interrupts and VBL Tasks
8. Handles and Pointers
9. General
Part Two (separate file)
-------------------------
VI. Specific Questions Answered
1. The Main Loop and Events
1. How do you tell if a specific key is being pressed?
2. How can I get millisecond timing from the keyboard
(or mouse)?
2. Menus
1. When do you put an ellipsis on the end of a menu item?
2. How do I get the menubar to disappear and re-appear?
3. What's the difference between the resource ID of a 'MENU'
resource and the menuID field of that resource?
3. Windows, Alerts, and Dialogs
1. How do you put a border around the default button in a
dialog?
4. Drawing
1. What is the fastest way to paint one pixel on the screen?
2. How do you draw directly into a pixmap without using
QuickDraw?
3. How do you draw directly onto the screen without using
QuickDraw?
4. What RGB value does the system use for dimmed buttons,
menus and window titles?
5. Files
1. Why is the File Manager so hard to use?
2. How do you get a full pathname?
3. How do you set the SFGet/PutFile directory?
4. How do you access the application's data fork?
6. Handles and Pointers
1. When should I call MoveHHi?
2. Why does malloc/calloc keep crashing or returning NULL in
Think C?
7. Standalone Code
1. How do I write an INIT?
8. General
1. How do I register signatures and file types with Apple?
2. How do I go about writing serial port communications?
VII. Eternal Debates:
1. Why doesn't the Mac do preemptive multitasking?
=============================================================================
===================================
Section I: Development Software
===================================
This is by no means a complete analysis of the tools, development systems,
etc. that are available. This is a short list of things which *most* Mac
programmers use (or are at least aware of, and have considered using).
1.1 Compilers
--------------
Macintosh Programmer's Workshop (Apple)
---------------------------------------
MPW is a package which contains separately-purchaseable compilers for
Assembly, C, C++, and Object Pascal. All of these run in an environment
called the MPW Shell. The Shell is a command-line oriented environment,
designed for extreme configurability with scripts, user-writeable "tools",
i/o redirection, and lots of other bells and whistles. On the pro side, it
can do many things that THINK cannot do; it scales much better to large
projects; it can be customized much more; and it's Apple's supported
development environment. On the con side, it is comparatively expensive,
slow, and difficult to learn. A debugger (SADE) is available for it, and
is philosophically similar to MPW. An object library is available (MacApp)
which allows applications to be built on an object-oriented framework, again
similar to MPW in it's approach of being very powerful, but not necessarily
easy to learn, easy to use, small, or fast.
MPW is also available on the quarterly Essentials-Tools-Objects CD-ROM from
Apple. This disc contains the latest version of the entire MPW development
environment, as well as debugging utilities and a huge collection of sample
source code. This brings the price of the MPW environment down a bit, but
it's still much more expensive than THINK.
Think (Symantec)
----------------
Think is two separate products, Think C and Think Object Pascal. They are
similar products. Both are integrated editor/compiler/linker/debugger
environments. Both come with a large library of predefined classes (the C
classes are written in a sort of pseudo C++ language that is Symantec's own
Object C, not C++). Think Pascal is MacApp-compatable, as well. Both
support inline assembly, but there is no separate assembler. Their main
selling point, however, is that they are very fast and very simple. They are
ideal for small projects that you want to finish in a few days, for
beginners, and for people who need a full-fledged development environment but
cannot afford MPW. This is not to say that the Think environments are not
useful for commercial development; many successful commercial programs were
written with Think. The difference in power between MPW and Think is only
noticeable with very large and/or multiple-developer projects.
1.2 Debuggers (beyond SADE and the Think debuggers)
----------------------------------------------------
MacsBug (Apple)
---------------
MacsBug is an assembly-level debugger. It is a command-line driven, entirely
text-based environment which uses little of the Mac toolbox, and is thus
fairly stable in crashes (although it doesn't use protected memory, its main
failing in the area of stability). It supports complex operations with
breakpoints, A-line traps, macros, expressions, and more, and can be
configured even more with user-writeable 'dcmd' external code resources.
MacsBug is free via anonymous ftp from ftp.apple.com. It is also included
with the book "Debugging Macintosh Software with MacsBug."
TMON Professional (ICOM)
------------------------
TMON Professional is an object-level debugger which is MUCH more powerful
than MacsBug. It has an elaborate interface which looks nothing like a Mac
application, and takes a while to get used to. It is a very intelligent
program, however, which can often display memory in its most useful format
without help (e.g. it will disassemble code, and display a string as a
string, automatically). It has strong support for types, allowing you to
easily view complex structures, arrays, floating point numbers, and more.
You can examine the stack, the heaps, and just about anything else you could
be interested in. It also provides versatile scripting, and is amazingly
configurable. There are more goodies in this package than I can possible
describe here. Drawbacks are high price, and a very steep learning curve.
The Debugger (Jasik Designs)
----------------------------
The Debugger (also known as Jasik's Debugger, because it was written by Steve
Jasik) is the only source level debugger with all the low-level features of
Macsbug (speed, straight-forward display of important info) and many of the
advantages of source level debuggers (source code, quick display of local
variables). Some of its best features are complete support for Object
Pascal, speed, and the ability to look at resource map and file information.
You gotta love any debugger that will display all of the low-level globals
with their values in a single keystroke! It also has a On the down side,
the interface is an aquired taste, the documentation needs work and
distribution disks lack a certain polish. But, phone support is very good
(you often get Steve himself).
SourceBug (Apple)
-----------------
SourceBug is provided by Apple on its ETO development-tools CD. Like SADE,
SourceBug is a source-level debugger. SADE is a scriptable,
stream-in/stream-out environment like MPW: The code being debugged is
displayed in text windows, with the current line highlighted. Data
structures
can be inspected, but only through printing commands; the formatting is
automatic and type-sensitive. And, you can use scripts to walk linked or
array data structures automatically, and save the results to text files.
SourceBug, by contrast, is driven by mouse selections and menu commands. The
program is centered around a browser window that organizes your code by
source
file (or by type, if you are using C++ or Object Pascal) and module name.
You
set breakpoints by clicking next to the line you want to break at. SADE
requires a command to set breakpoints (though a menu item front-ends a script
to set simple ones by selection); on the other hand, a SADE breakpoint can
execute any script, permitting snapshots and conditional breaks. SourceBug
gives you only an unconditional break.
The same dichotomy applies to data structures: SourceBug is nearly as smart
as SADE in parsing data, and provides you with an inspector for most
instances
of C++ or Pascal objects. But finding data, link traversals, and some
formatting are strictly manual jobs. Variable-length arrays of complex
types?
Forget it. SADE can handle them, SourceBug can't.
For most purposes, SourceBug is the better debugger. It is rare that you
need
SADE's strengths badly enough to compose the suite of breakpoints and testing
scripts you will need to make SADE effective. SourceBug is better at 99% of
the debugging tasks: For instance, when you break into SourceBug, the
currently-executing procedure is displayed in a window, with an arrow
pointing
to the current line. In the upper part of the window is the stack crawl;
click on any item in the list to see any procedure in the calling chain, see
the line that made the call, and inspect (the optimizer permitting) the local
variables of any procedure in the chain. To do the same in SADE requires
issuing a command to dump the stack and selecting a code address identifier
in
the result. To examine a variable in use by a caller, you will have to use
SADE's scoping language to provide it with enough context to identify the
address. SADE can do more, but it can't carry enough context to be as
helpful
as SourceBug.
1.3 Other Tools
----------------
ResEdit (Apple)
---------------
ResEdit is the accepted tool for editing and creating resources. It has very
little competition, partially because it is a very good and comprehensive
program, and partially because it is free (available via anonymous ftp from
ftp.apple.com). It allows you to edit any resource in hexadecimal, and most
of the standard types have special editors that provide a direct-manipulation
paradigm for editing them. Users may write their own pickers and editors for
custom resource types, although this is rarely done in practice.
Resorcerer (Mathemaesthetics)
------------------------------
Resorcerer is a commercially available replacement for ResEdit. Many
developers use it exclusively, and swear by it quite vehemently. This is
from one of them:
RESORCERER is a no-holds-barred resource dynamo.
-- embarrasses the ResEdit dialog editor
-- supports many more template data types
-- swap in different resource templates based on a key value
-- creates recursive resources
-- generates starter code for a dialog
-- does complex searches against resource contents or titles
-- renumbers resources in batches
-- changes resource types
-- excellent support from the author himself
I personally like Resorcerer for some things and ResEdit for others. There
are certain resource types that cannot be edited with Resorcerer, like
color icons, and others that cannot be edited with ResEdit, like help
balloons. I expect, however, that with the addition of such resource
editors to Resorcerer, I will begin to use it exclusively.
The price is the major consideration for most people. ResEdit is free from
Apple, while Resorcerer is a commercial product (available for around $250).
Virtual User (Apple)
--------------------
Virtual User allows you to script user interactions with a program so that
they cal be relayed over and over, and it can execute scripts remotely, over
AppleTalk. So, for instance, you could write a script that puts your program
through its paces, and then automatically execute that script simultaneously
on lots of differently configured Macintosh systems. It is available from
APDA (#M0987LL/B). [This paragraph taken from develop Issue 8, page 60.]
Online Companion (Addison-Wesley)
---------------------------------
Online Companion is a reference tool. Hit a magic key combination, and a
pseudo-window opens at the bottom of the screen which allows you to type in
a full or partial name and find it in Online's database. It contains Inside
Mac and some supplements, Tech Notes, etc. It's fast and simple.
Think Reference (Symantec)
--------------------------
Think Reference is a reference tool. It is a hypertext version of Inside Mac
I-V and the Tech Notes. Click on the function or data type name to go to the
page on which it is defined. It includes some very useful notes and examples
written by Symantec, and the function prototypes can be copied and pasted
into your editor. Very fast and simple to use. But beware of typos and, in
some cases, bad advice.
========================================
Section II: Apple Developer Programs
========================================
2.1 The Associates and Partners Programs
-----------------------------------------
From the Macintosh Development Tools and Languages Guidebook
(1993 Edition, page 15):
The Apple Associates Program is Apple's mainstream program for qualified
commercial developers whose plans are well-aligned to Apple's long-term
strategy. Members of this program receive essential technical and
marketing information, as well as self-help technical support tools.
Eligible Apple Associates can also purchase, at special prices, a limited
number of Apple systems for development purposes.
The Apple Partners Program is a development support program for
Apple-selected commercial developers. Apple Partners haves access to
programs and services such as techical and marketing information, as well
as direct technical support via electronic mail. Apple Partners can also
purchase, at special prices, a limited number of Apple computer systems
for development purposes.
Apple Associates and Apple Partners receive a monthly mailing containing
all of the information in the Technical Information Mailing. [see section
2.4] Two other particularly interesting products that are included are
the Developer CD, which contains hundreds of megabytes of
programming-related material, and Apple Direct, a newspaper that keeps
developers abreast of Apple's technical developments and marketing
directions.
Apple Associates and Apple Partners also get product-level support on
development tools and system software, and information on how to use
Apple's resources most efficiently. Additionally, code-level support
from Developer Technical Support is available to Apple Partners via
electronic mail.
For more information on support programs for commercial developers
contact the Developer Hotline at:
Developer Support
Apple Computer Inc.
20525 Mariani Avenue, M/S 75-2C
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 974-4897
[no AppleLink address is given, but try DEVSUPPORT]
2.2 Apple Developer University
-------------------------------
From the back cover of 'develop' Issue 7:
Apple Developer University provides training for all levels of Macintosh
programmers. The hands-on classes give you experience using the most up-
to-date development tools. Classes are offered in locations across the
United States, and on-site instruction can also be arranged. Multimedia
self-paced courses are available from Developer University through APDA.
These courses include Macintosh Programming Fundamentals, User-Centered
Design, and Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming.
The registrar at (408) 974-6215 can reserve your place or send a current
catalog. You can also AppleLink DEVUNIV (devuniv@applelink.apple.com) or
write
20525 Mariani Avenue
M/S 75-6U
Cupertino, CA 95014
2.3 APDA
---------
From the Macintosh Development Tools and Languages Guidebook
(1993 Edition, page 13):
APDA is an Apple service organization that offers convenient worldwide
access to over 300 development tools, resources, training products, and
information for anyone interested in developing applications on Apple
platforms. Customers receive the quarterly APDA Tools Catalog featuring
alll of the most popular and most current versions of Apple tools and the
most popular third-party development tools. Ordering is easy, there are
no membership fees and no special agreements are required for most products.
APDA offers convenient payment and shipping options, including site
licensing.
To order product or receive a complimentary APDA Tools Catalog, contact:
APDA
Apple Computer Inc.
P.O. Box 319
Buffalo, New York 14207-0319 U.S.
(800) 282-2732 U.S.
(800) 637-0029 Canada
(716) 871-6555 International
(716) 871-6511 Fax
APDA AppleLink (apda@applelink.apple.com)
76666,2405 CompuServe
APDA America Online
2.4 Developer CDs
------------------
The developer CDs are available quarterly from APDA, or monthly to Apple
Associates and Partners. The quarterly version is also included in the
quarterly issue of d e v e l o p. They contain just about everything that
Apple makes freely available, including SpInside Mac, the Tech Notes, and
a plethora of code snippets.
=======================================
Section III: Sources of Information
=======================================
3.1 Books and Periodicals
--------------------------
3.1.1 Technical Books
----------------------
Inside Macintosh Volume I
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17731-5. $24.95
Inside Macintosh Volume II
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17732-3. $24.95
Inside Macintosh Volume III
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17733-1. $19.95
Inside Macintosh Volume IV
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-05409-4. $24.95
Inside Macintosh Volume V
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17719-6. $26.95
Inside Macintosh Volume VI
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57755-0. $39.95
Inside Mac is the definitive reference regarding the Macintosh toolbox.
Volumes I and II are basically essential to any Mac programmer who uses
the toolbox at all. Volume III is essentially a summary, cross
reference, index-y sort of thing, and isn't very useful. Volume IV is
stuff specific to the Mac Plus and later machines, which would make it
almost as important as I and II (not many 512K Macs left out there),
except that the routines it describes are not nearly as generally
useful. It does have all of the stuff on the HFS File Manager, however,
so if you're working with File Manager routines you should definitely
consult IV before I-III. Otherwise, you can survive without it for a
while. Volume V is the Mac II volume. It has every thing on Color
QuickDraw, as well as lots of other goodies. I'd say it's more useful
than IV, but only if you're doing color. Volume VI is the System 7
volume. It contains all kinds of bizarre new things which are probably
not of general use or interest; but it contains a lot of new
non-System-7 stuff as well (such as 32-bit Quickdraw), and it has
corrections to the other five volumes.
Inside Macintosh X-Ref, Revised Edition
Addison Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57769-0. $12.95.
Inside Mac X-Ref is a cross-referenced index to the six volumes and
some other Macintosh technical books.
Inside Macintosh: Files ISBN 0-201-63244-6 $29.95
Inside Macintosh: Memory ISBN 0-201-63240-3 $24.95
Inside Macintosh: Processes ISBN 0-201-63241-1 $22.95
Inside Macintosh, having previously been three authoritative
volumes, with three chronological supplements, has been due for
a rewrite and overhaul for a few years. Apple is now in the
process of reissuing IM in 15 subject-related books, of which
only the first three have come out at this writing.
If you have volumes I-VI, then you will eventually have to buy
the new Inside Macintosh, too. Newcomers are in a dilemma:
The new IM has better information than the old one, but not
enough of the new IM has come out to be useful. They will have
to judge how urgent their need is for authoritative
information. Dabblers and beginners can probably get by with
the teaching books recommended below. Serious work begins with
Volume I (basic ToolBox), Volume II (basic OS), and Volume IV
(for the file system). If you need color, get Volume V; if you
do anything with processes (IPC, backgrounding), get Volume VI.
M68000 User's Manual
Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-609249-7. $22.95.
MC68020 User's Manual
Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-567017-9. $22.95.
MC68030 User's Manual
Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-566423-3. $22.95.
MC68881/MC68882 Floating-Point Coprocessor User's Manual
Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-566936-7. $22.95.
The Motorola references are required reading for anyone doing assembly
programming on the Mac. The 68000 is by far the most important. The
68881 manual only has relevance to those who want to do floating point
and don't want to use SANE (the Standard Apple Numeric Environment,
slow but robust, precise and general).
Technical Introduction to the Macintosh Family
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17765-X. $19.95.
This book provides an overview of the general hardware design, system
archiecture, and ROM design of the Macintosh. It is not required for
programming, but does provide some useful background information for
programmers new to the Mac.
Programmer's Introduction to the Macintosh Family.
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-19254-3. $22.95.
This book provides an overview of basic Macintosh programming concepts.
It is recommended for programmers new to the Mac.
Guide to the Macintosh Family Hardware
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-52405-8. $26.95.
This is the definitive guide to the hardware design of the Macintosh
family.
Designing Cards and Drivers for the Macintosh Family
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-52404-X. $26.95.
This is the official guide for developers of expansion cards and
peripheral devices for the Mac. This book is required reading for
anyone who wants to talk directly to expansion cards (video cards,
for example).
Human Interface Guidelines: The Apple Desktop Interface
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17753-6. $14.95.
This is the definitive guide to program interface design on the
Macintosh. When you find yourself wondering where to put the OK
button in a dialog, consult this book.
Apple Numerics Manual
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-17738-2. $29.95.
This book describes the Standard Apple Numerics Environment (SANE),
and provides information about the IEEE-standard arithmetic and
about the SANE engines on the Apple IIgs and Macintosh computers.
Inside the Macintosh Communications Toolbox
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57775-5. $24.95.
This is the definitive reference volume for the Communications Toolbox.
3.1.2 Teaching Books
---------------------
Macintosh Programming Primer (Second Edition)
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-60838-3. $26.95.
Macintosh C Programming Primer Volume II
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57016-5. $24.95.
These are excellent books for the beginning Mac programmer. Both books
use Think C in their examples, but developers using other platforms
will find a plethora of useful tidbits. I believe both books are
available in Pascal as well.
Macintosh Revealed, Volume One: Unlocking the Toolbox
Hayden Books. ISBN 0-8104-6551-5. $26.95.
Macintosh Revealed, Volume Two: Programming with the Toolbox
Hayden Books. ISBN 0-8104-6561-2. $26.95.
Macintosh Revealed, Volume Three: Mastering the Toolbox
Hayden Books. ISBN 0-672-48402-1. $26.95.
Macintosh Revealed, Volume Four: Expanding the Toolbox
Hayden Books. ISBN 0-672-48413-7. $26.95.
This encyclopedic collection covers the entire Mac Toolbox for the
beginning Pascal or Assembly programmer. It sometimes re-iterates
Inside Mac, but always offers a fresh perspective. Volume I covers
basics including memory management and QuickDraw. Volume II covers the
other essential Toolbox managers and exemplifies each by constructing
part of a complete text editor. Volume III expands this application,
covering printing, drivers, desk accessories, sound and definition
functions. Volume IV contains details of programming with MultiFinder,
Color QuickDraw and styled text.
How to Write Macintosh Software (Third Edition)
Hayden Books. ISBN 0-201-?????-?. ~$30.
This book gives comprehensive coverage of memory management and
debugging techniques. It also gives an excellent overview of assembly
language programming on the Mac. A must-have. Somebody please send me
the ISBN and price of the third edition (I haven't bought mine yet).
Macintosh Programming Secrets (Second Edition)
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-58134-5. $29.95.
This is the second edition of Scott Knaster's classic book. This
edition was co-authored by Keith Rollin. From the back cover: "If
you've ever written Macintosh programs, or want to learn how it's done,
this book will show you how to perform tasks that aren't explicitly
documented in the reference books." This is true. Get this book if
you want to learn how to write a tail patch, or how to hide the menu
bar. If you don't know what a tail patch is, that's OK; this book
starts at (or near) the beginning. A must-have for all beginning- and
intermediate-level Macintosh programmers.
On Macintosh Programming: Advanced Techniques
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-51737-X. $24.95.
This book contains a lot of information on all aspects of programming
the Mac, including hardware and software architecture, the toolbox,
and the use of assembly, C, and Pascal for programming the toolbox.
It includes quite a lot of source code.
Using the Macintosh Toolbox With C
Sybex. ISBN 0-89588-572-7. $29.95.
This is a fairly good book for beginning Mac programmers. Experienced
programmers will find nothing new here.
Programmer's Guide to MPW, Volume I
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57011-4. $26.95.
This is a basic introduction to using MPW. I don't recommend it for
anyone who already uses MPW.
Programming with MacApp
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-09784-2. $24.95.
C++ Programming with MacApp
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57020-3. $24.95.
These give a basic introduction to programming with MacApp; the first
with Object Pascal, and the second with C++.
Programming for System 7.
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-56770-9. $26.95
This is a guide to creating applications for System 7. It describes
the new features and functions of the operating system in detail.
The sample code is in C and includes a complete System 7 application
in Chapter 1 which is expanded in succeeding chapters.
ResEdit Complete
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-55075-X. $29.95.
Most of this book is not written for programmers, but includes quite
a bit of useful information nonetheless. It contains detailed
discussions of using, customizing and programming ResEdit, including
the creation of custom templates, pickers and editors. It comes with
ResEdit 2.1 on disk, with sample source code in MPW C and Pascal.
Debugging Macintosh Software with MacsBug
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-57049-1. $34.95.
This looks like a really good and useful book, but I haven't had a
chance to look at it yet. MacsBug is included on disk, along with
several examples and dcmds.
Programming the M68000
Benjamin/Cummings. ISBN 0-8053-5550-2.
680x0 Programming by Example
Howard W. Sams & Co. ISBN 0-672-22544-1. $17.95.
M68000 Assembly Language: Techniques for Building Programs
Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-201-11659-6.
The Complete Book of Macintosh Assembly Language Programming [sic]
Scott, Foresman & Co.
Vol I ISBN 0-673-18379-3
Vol II ISBN 0-673-18583-4
These are all assembly books that have been recommended by people on
the net. The first two are general; the others are specific to the
Macintosh.
3.1.3 Periodicals
------------------
d e v e l o p
Quarterly. $10 per issue. $30 per year.
develop
Apple Computer, Inc.
P.O. Box 531
Mt. Morris, IL 61054
AppleLink DEV.SUBS
develop is Apple's technical journal for the Macintosh and Apple II
(the focus is on the Mac). The articles are well-written and useful,
and it includes the Developer CD.
MacTech (was MacTutor)
Monthly. $5 per issue. $40 per year Third Class; $55 First Class.
Xplain Corporation
P.O. Box 250055
Los Angeles, CA 90025-9555
Phone: (310) 575-4343
FAX: (310) 575-0925
mactutor@applelink.apple.com
The only Macintosh programming journal that I'm aware of. A good
source of sample code.
3.2 Mailing Lists
------------------
3.2.1 Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer Digest
-------------------------------------
The Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer Digest is a collection of article threads from
comp.sys.mac.programmer. It is designed for people who read c.s.m.p. semi-
regularly and want an archive of the discussions.
Each issue of the digest contains one or more sets of articles (called
threads), with each set corresponding to a 'discussion' of a particular
subject. The articles are not edited; all articles included in the digest
are in their original posted form (as received by the news server at
cs.uoregon.edu). Article threads are not added to the digest until the last
article added to the thread is at least one month old (this is to ensure that
the thread is dead before adding it to the digest). Article threads that
consist of only one message are generally not included in the digest.
The entire digest is available for anonymous ftp from ftp.cs.uoregon.edu
[128.223.8.8] in the directory /pub/mac/csmp-digest. The most recent issues
are available from sumex-aim.stanford.edu [36.44.0.6] in the directory
/info-mac/digest/csmp. If you don't have ftp capability, the sumex archive
has a mail server; send a message with the text '$MACarch help' (no quotes)
to LISTSERV@ricevm1.rice.edu for more information.
The digest is also available via email. Just send a note saying that you
want to be on the digest mailing list to mkelly@cs.uoregon.edu, and you will
automatically receive each new issue as it is created. Sorry, back issues
are not available through the mailing list.
3.2.2 Think Class Library Discussion
-------------------------------------
The Think Class Library discussion list is for those interested in using
Symantec's Think C and Think Pascal object-oriented class library for
Macintosh. Discussion topics include
* class usage, design, and implementation
* TCL bug reports, work-arounds, and fixes
* TCL application development techniques
* TCL development aids
Mail to the discussion list should be sent to tcl-talk@brown.edu.
If you want to join the discussion list, mail a note saying so to
tcl-request@brown.edu.
3.2.3 MacPsych
---------------
This is a mailing list of psychologists and others interested in using the
Macintosh in research and teaching. The intention of this service is to
provide quick and authoritative answers to questions raised by Mac-using
researchers and teachers in psychology. Individuals who have Mac questions
to pose, or have general messages that they believe would be of interest to
research psychologists and teachers using the Macintosh, may send their
information to macpsych@stolaf.edu. Mail sent to this address will first
pass through the moderator for the list (huff@stolaf.edu) who will forward
it to everyone on the list.
If you want to be on the mailing list, mail a note saying so to
macpsych-request@stolaf.edu.
There is an archive containing some free Macintosh software that has been
written by members of the group; for more information, write to
macpsych-request@stolaf.edu.
3.3 Miscellaneous
------------------
3.3.1 Usenet Mac Programmer's Guide
------------------------------------
The Usenet Mac Programmer's Guide (UMPG) is a collection of useful tips
culled from comp.sys.mac.programmer. Compiled by Matthew X. Mora
(mxmora@unix.sri.com), it is organized by topic and includes a table of
contents and index. It is available via anonymous ftp from sumex-aim.
stanford.edu (36.44.0.6) in the directory /info-mac/tech/.
It is also available in a pre-printed version, or on disk.
To get a copy of the printed version send $17.00 to:
USENET Macintosh Programmer's Guide Printed Version
39075 Carmel Ct.
Fremont, CA 94538
To get a copy of the disk version send $5.00 to:
USENET Macintosh Programmer's Guide Disk Version
39075 Carmel Ct.
Fremont, CA 94538
3.3.2 Kent Sandvik's Frequently Asked MPW C++ and MacApp Questions
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This file is available upon request from ksand@apple.com or via anonymous ftp
to ftp.cs.uoregon.edu [128.223.8.8] in the directory /pub/mac.
3.3.3 Comp.Sys.Mac.FAQ
-----------------------
This Frequently Asked Questions list provides short answers to a number of
frequently asked questions from the newsgroups comp.sys.mac.system,
comp.sys.mac.misc, and comp.sys.mac.apps. Some of the questions that it
answers are asked occasionally on comp.sys.mac.programmer. Please read
this FAQ list before posting to c.s.m.p. It is available from the sumex
archives and its mirror sites (see section 4.2) in the file /info-mac/
report/csmf-faq.txt.
=============================
Section IV: Archive Sites
=============================
4.1 ftp.apple.com [130.43.2.3]
-------------------------------
Contents
This archive contains just about everything available for free from
Apple. Look here first for sample source code, the latest tech
notes, and tools such as ResEdit and MacsBug. Very little of what
can be found here is available from other archives.
Access
Anonymous ftp, from inside the United States only.
You should read the file /dts/README.FIRST before downloading from this
archive. Everything for the Mac is in /dts/mac. The moderators ask that
you download during the off-peak hours if at all possible, since this is
just a IIci running A/UX.
Submissions
You cannot post to this archive.
4.2 sumex-aim.stanford.edu [36.44.0.6]
---------------------------------------
Contents
This archive contains a large collection of public-domain and shareware
for the Mac. It is well-maintained and updated regularly. New
submissions to the archive are listed every other day or so in the
newsgroup comp.sys.mac.digest.
Access
Anonymous ftp. Read the files in /info-mac/help for more detailed
information about the files in the archive. Everything is in /info-mac.
If you don't have ftp access you can use the mail server; send a message
with the text '$MACarch help' (no quotes) to LISTSERV@ricevm1.rice.edu
for more information.
Submissions
Sumex accepts all submissions that "are of general benefit to the
Macintosh community." Basically, if you have something that you think is
useful, and that other people may like to have, you should feel free to
send it to sumex. All submissions should be compressed and BinHexed, and
should include a short but informative blurb at the beginning of the file.
Mail your submissions to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu. For more
detailed information, consult the file
/info-mac/help/posting-guidelines.txt.
4.3 rascal.ics.utexas.edu [128.83.138.20]
------------------------------------------
This archive is being discontinued as of 5/92. It will continue to have
stuff available for a while, perhaps a few months, but the contents will
eventually dwindle until there is very little or nothing left.
Contents
This archive contains most of what can be found at sumex. Its
emphasis is on utilities and programming-related items, but it
contains quite a bit of other stuff as well. It is the home of
the comp.sys.mac.announce archives. Many items tend to appear
here before they show up at sumex or comp.binaries.mac.
Access
Anonymous ftp.
Submissions
No longer accepted.
4.4 mac.archive.umich.edu [141.211.164.153]
--------------------------------------------
Contents
I haven't explored this archive yet, but I hear it has quite a bit
of general Macintosh freeware and shareware.
Access
Anonymous ftp.
Submissions
You can submit to this archive by mailing a compressed, binhexed
file with a brief descriptive header to macgifts@mac.archive.umich.
edu. This address will also forward your mail to comp.binaries.mac
and sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
4.5 ftp.cs.uoregon.edu [128.223.8.8]
-------------------------------------
Contents
This is the home of this FAQ list, as well as the Comp.Sys.Mac.
Programmer Digests. There's also a little sample code not included
in the FAQ.
Access
Anonymous ftp. Directory /pub/mac.
Submissions
Not accepted.
4.6 ics.uci.edu [128.195.1.1]
------------------------------
Contents
This archive has some Mac stuff, although not nearly as much as the
major sites, such as sumex. The main attraction is the Think C
directory. It contains the latest updates to Think C, as well as
Think C related system extensions, fkeys, etc., and source code.
Definitely worth checking out if you use Think C extensively.
Access
Anonymous ftp. Directory /mac.
Submissions
Not accepted, I think. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
4.7 ftp.brown.edu [128.148.176.55]
-----------------------------------
Contents
This is the home of the Think Class Library mailing list. It includes
TCL bug fixes and new classes, as well as an archive of the tcl-talk
mailing list.
Access
Anonymous ftp. Directory /pub/tcl.
Submissions
Submissions to the archive should be mailed to tcl-request@brown.edu or
placed in the directory /incoming/tcl with accompanying mail to
tcl-request. Encode all submissions in BinHex 4.0 format and include a
descriptive header. Please do not redistribute Symantec's TCL source.
4.8 comp.binaries.mac [newsgroup]
----------------------------------
Contents
This is a moderated newsgroup for distribution of Macintosh freeware
and shareware. Just about everything that gets sent to sumex and
the other major archives gets sent here as well.
Access
Subscribe to the newsgroup....
Submissions
All files should be compressed and binhexed for mailing. Posting
to the newsgroup should automatically get your file mailed to the
moderator. If this does not happen on your system, you can mail
your posting to the moderator yourself at macintosh@dhw68k.cts.com,
or at dhw68k!bytebug@ics.uci.edu if the first address doesn't work.
Expect a delay of as much as a month before your posting shows up
on the newsgroup.
=========================
Section V: One-liners
=========================
5.1 The Main Loop and Events
-----------------------------
Call MaxApplZone and MoreMasters when the application starts up.
If you call SetApplLimit, do it before calling MaxApplZone.
Use HD in MacsBug while running to estimate how many times to call
MoreMasters.
Don't use SetEventMask to disable mouseUp events. Better not to use it at
all.
Call WaitNextEvent if you're running under System 6 or later.
DTS sample code passes 0x7fffffff to WaitNextEvent when nothing is happening.
DTS sample code passes GetCaretTime() to WaitNextEvent when flashing a
cursor.
Call both GetNextEvent and SystemTask only if WaitNextEvent is unavailable.
Call IsDialogEvents and DialogSelect even if GetNextEvent returns false.
SetPort to a known good grafPort once every time through the event loop.
Set the cursor on suspend and resume events.
Call GetDblTime to get the maximum time for a double click.
Measure double click time from mouse up to mouse down.
5.2 Menus
----------
Use SetItem to include meta characters literally in menus.
Prepend an ASCII 0 to a menu item to use a leading '-'.
Never make MENU resources purgeable.
5.3 Resources
--------------
GetResource never produces resNotFound. Check for a NIL handle instead.
To create a resource file, call HCreate, then HCreateResFile.
To open a resource file read-only for shared access, use HOpenResFile.
Don't leave ResLoad set to false.
GetResource on a dctb may return a non-resource copy of the dctb.
5.4 Windows, Alerts, and Dialogs
---------------------------------
Move and size windows to the bounding box of GetGrayRgn.
Hide scroll bars when deactivating a window.
Call DrawGrowIcon when activating or deactivating a window with a grow
region.
DrawGrowIcon does not check to see if the window has a grow region.
Call PenNormal before calling DrawGrowIcon.
itemHit will not be set when a dialog filter is called.
Use a disabled UserItem to draw the roundrect outline around the OK button.
ModalDialog assumes the dialog is already visible and in the front.
Use screenBits.bounds to center dialogs, alerts, etc. below the menu bar.
If you save window locations in files, they may not be valid for all
monitors.
DragWindow expects startPt in boundsRect; if not it may not call
SelectWindow.
SelectWindow does not automatically call SetPort. You must do that yourself.
DialogSelect responds to activate events but ignores suspend/resume events.
5.5 Drawing
------------
Always set the VisRgn and ClipRgn of offscreen ports.
Set the ClipRgn first when making a picture.
Don't make rowBytes in bitMaps greater than 8191.
To dim text, draw a rectangle with penPat=gray and penMode=patbic over it.
To draw rotated text, draw to an offscreen bitmap, rotate it, and CopyBits
it.
Don't use picSize to determine the size of a picture. Check the handle size.
Never draw outside a window except in XOR mode for temporary effects like
drag.
To avoid animation flicker, synchronize drawing to the vertical retrace.
CopyBits on more than 3Kb data will work, but it might have to allocate
memory.
The small Mac screen is 512 pixels wide by 342 pixels high including menu
bar.
5.6 Files
----------
Don't write in the application file. This will fail with read-only devices.
Use PBGetVInfo to convert a VRefNum to a volume name.
Delete uses the Poor Man's Search Path, so don't delete blindly.
File Manager routines with dirID=0 use the Poor Man's Search Path.
Truncate and reallocate files before overwriting to reduce fragmentation.
Check/change the creator and type of Save As... files before overwriting.
If you rewrite files by deleting and creating, copy all Finder information.
Directory ID's are longs, not shorts. Shorts work ALMOST all the time.
Always set the version number that appears in some file manager calls to 0.
To convert a pathRefNum to a name or file number, use PBGetFCBInfo.
Prevent the creation of files with names that begin with a period.
5.7 Interrupts and VBL Tasks
-----------------------------
Don't call any Memory Manager routines during an interrupt.
Unlocked handles may not be valid during an interrupt.
To synchronize to the vertical retrace on Macs with slots use SlotVInstall.
5.8 Handles and Pointers
-------------------------
Lock handles before passing their dereferenced pointers to any routine.
Lock handles before setting referenced data to expressions containing
functions
Put an odd long at location zero on a 68000 to help find NIL handle
references.
Use HGetState/HLock/HSetState to lock a handle then put it back as it was.
5.9 General
Always use unsigned characters within text and Pascal-format strings.
Save application preferences in a folder named Preferences in the System
Folder
Use SysEnvirons to find the System (Blessed) Folder.
Use GetAppParms to get the name of the application.
The high bit of SysParam . volClik enables the alarm clock.
Check the application name at $910 before exiting with ES within MacsBug.
To exit to shell in the mini-debugger, enter SM 0 A9 F4 and then G 0.
In Pascal, don't nest procedures to be passed by procedure pointer.
In Pascal, "with theHandle^^" is unsafe if memory compaction can occur.
==============================
Credits / Acknowledgements
==============================
Many thanks to Ben Haller, who started this whole thing, and did quite a lot
of work on this posting before handing it off to Michael A. Kelly. Many
thanks to Michael A. Kelly also, for all his work in establishing and
maintaining this FAQ (in addition to continuing to keep the
Comp.Sys.Mac.Programmer Digest) before passing the baton.
Thanks to these people for proofreading this list during its development:
Ben Haller
Wally Wedel
John B. Matthews
Patrick Beard
Steve Zellers
Thanks to Chris Webster for the one-liners.
Thanks to Peter Lewis for the answers to the following specific questions:
6.2.1 When do you put an ellipsis on the end of a menu item?
6.5.1 Why is the File Manager so hard to use?
6.5.2 How do you get a full pathname?
6.5.3 How do you set the SFGet/PutFile directory?
Thanks to Greg Ferrar for the review on TMON Pro.
Thanks to John Rinaldo for the review on Jasik's Debugger.
Thanks for Fritz Anderson for his descriptions of SourceBug and the new
Inside Macintosh volumes.
And thanks to everyone who has offered suggestions or constructive
criticism.... Keep those comments coming!
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Daryl_Spitzer@mindlink.bc.ca "Life isn't just, life just is."
a2251@mindlink.bc.ca -- Me (I think.)
-------------------------------------------------------------------