Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!well!nagle From: nagle@well.sf.ca.us (John Nagle) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: MPW 3.3 Message-ID: <25699@well.sf.ca.us> Date: 26 Jun 91 17:48:48 GMT References: Lines: 26 MPW, unfortunately, is little more than a 1976-vintage UNIX Programmer's Workbench with some graphics. There has been considerable progress since then, and MPW doesn't reflect it. Program management is still at the SCCS/Make level. You must describe the structure of the program separately to Projector, Make, Browse, and Link. This is silly. There should be one database which describes how all the pieces fit together, and all the tools should use it. It's suprising that Apple picked such a old model to emulate. Programming environments need a "pull" model, based on dependencies, not a "push" model, based on commands. "Make" works this way, but it's old technology. For example, when "make" can't find something, it just quits. You don't get a standard file dialog asking "Where is XXX?", leading to a proper database update, so you don't have to tell it again next time. That would be the Macintosh way. The MPW way is to provide a Commando hack to generate makefiles the first time using a dialogue box, but to require the user to manually edit Make's database when adding a new file to the build. Tacky. John Nagle