Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool2.mu.edu!uunet!munnari.oz.au!uniwa!fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au!a_dent
From: a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: MPW 3 - why bother?
Message-ID: <1991Jan10.222325.2753@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.au>
Date: 10 Jan 91 14:23:25 GMT
Organization: University of Western Australia
Lines: 31

Some time ago I replaced the terminal emulation in NCSA Telnet (2.2) with
Freedom One. This was using the MPW 2.02 environment.

I was recently asked to do some fixup work, this time using MPW 3.1 (the client
bought a new MPW - the old one belonged to a different company).  To my
utter horror (on a fixed-price contract that's *UTTER HORROR*) the changes to 
make MPW C ANSI compliant have far-reaching effects and we've just about
given up on converting to MPW 3.  (Waiting on a version that some poor soul
has already converted, to see if worth re-applying my original changes).

On enquiry, it seems that even the latest version from NCSA is still
compiled with MPW 2.02 and I just tried compiling with MPW 2.02 today under
System 6.07 with no ill effects.

So, why change?????

Just WHAT deadly, dark, evil incompatibility is lurking around the corner
if we fail to convert this code to MPW 3?

For anyone considering such a conversion, get the MPW C manual, read the 
appendix of changes, then read the front of the manual, then meditate on
how many Str255 *'s you have, and how many string literal comparisons, and
...

MPW 3 - JUST SAY "NO"
(unless someone gives me a very good reason ;-) )

Andy Dent                     A.D. Software phone 09 249 2719
Mac & VAX programmer          94 Bermuda Dve, Ballajura
a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz       Western Australia  6066     
a_dent@fennel.cc.uwa.oz.AU (international)