Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcspe!cs.uq.oz.au!grue From: grue@cs.uq.oz.au (Frobozz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds Subject: Re: Libraries and versions Message-ID: <556@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> Date: 3 Apr 91 04:01:35 GMT References: <68505@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> Sender: news@cs.uq.oz.au Reply-To: grue@cs.uq.oz.au Lines: 72 In<68505@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>cloos@acsu.buffalo.edu (James H. Cloos) writes: >I'm looking at the following format for each of the commands to assure >continuity and no conflicts: >@name [see next] >@number paints a copyright screen, incl author's name, whether > copyrighted or pd, whether freeware, shareware, or > commercialware. This shows up as Cnumber in the menu. >VERSname [see next] >VERSnumber returns a version number to the stack. Should be design- > ed so that a program that uses the routines in this lib > call use this to confirm whether it'll work. >If there is a very >large profusion of libraries out there, it would be nice to be able to have >on-line mention of who wrote it; obviously copyrighted stuff in general and >shareware/commercialware stuff in specific NEED this info. Further >assuming that these libraries will not be static projects, allowing >programs that use them to confirm that the needed version of the lib is >there is helpful. (NB: the code /<< VERS1500 4.52 SAME \>> not only tests >to see if the version is 4.52, but also tests whether the library is >ATTACHed in the first place.) I like the idea of the VERS commands. I am not so sure about having specific copyright messages. I agree that a library should have a copyright message (or shareware message or declaration that it is public), I just wouldn't make a specific command for it. Much more irritating for the user would be to put up a title page whenever the package is started up (not for long). This would serve as a good reminder for shareware packages (even putting it up periodicly during the running of the package until the shareware fee is paid ;-) I'd also prefer to see the VERS used in more like the following manner: << VERS1500 4.52 >= >> assuming that libraries are upward compatable in some manner. Better might be something like: << IF IFERR VERS1500 THEN -1 END 4.52 < THEN cute message saying that the library isn't available END >> Using the compressed library name would also be a move in the right direction. How hard is it to change the ID of a library? After a quick glance at the format of a library it appears to be the changing of the ID number in a couple of places and the re-computation of the checksum. A utility to do this might be useful, I am certain that library conflicts are going to appear sometime in the future (there are not all that many IDs available are there ;-). I'll also say that I don't like the idea of programs depending upon the existance of non-public domain utilities. To use such a program requires the outlay of some cash to get the necessary utilities. This is only for programs that I intend to release to the world at large, for my personal programs anything goes. Pauli seeya Paul Dale | Internet/CSnet: grue@cs.uq.oz.au Dept of Computer Science| Bitnet: grue%cs.uq.oz.au@uunet.uu.net Uni of Qld | JANET: grue%cs.uq.oz.au@uk.ac.ukc Australia, 4072 | EAN: grue@cs.uq.oz | UUCP: uunet!munnari!cs.uq.oz!grue f4e6g4Qh4++ | JUNET: grue@cs.uq.oz.au --