Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!uvabick!thomas
From: thomas@uvabick.UUCP (Thomas Fruin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Superpaint 2.0 vs. Canvas 2.0
Summary: SuperPaint 2.0's "Plug-in" feature
Keywords: Superpaint, Canvas
Message-ID: <384@uvabick.UUCP>
Date: 7 Sep 88 08:55:21 GMT
References: <3162@emory.uucp>
Organization: uvabick
Lines: 31


riddle@emory.uucp (Larry Riddle) writes:

"Can anyone describe the relative merits of version 2.0 of these
programs (Canvas and SuperPaint)?"

Can't help you with Canvas, but I read this document that describes
an interesting new feature in SuperPaint 2.0 called a "Plug-in".
A plug-in is a piece of code that you can write yourself, using a
documented "external-command"-like format, that behaves like a bitmap
editor.  The documented explained how to compile (no globals as usual)
and link the thing, and what parameters it should have.  The nice
thing is that you don't have to install the plug-in into SuperPaint's
resource file - you simply drag it into ANY folder where you want to
keep SuperPaint's auxiliary files (not necessarily the System folder)
and designate that folder as a "Pouch", another invention of theirs.

A plug-in basically lets you add tool windows to SuperPaint, and
bitmap windows to edit with those tools.  From the users' point of
view, a plug-in is seamlessly integrated with the program.  The
document I read said there were already several commercial plug-in's,
but that people were free to write their own.  And this construct
is not unique to SuperPaint, but will be incorporated into more
software packages by the same company.

-- Thomas Fruin

   fruin@hlerul5.BITNET                          University of Leiden
   thomas@uvabick.UUCP                           University of Amsterdam
   hol0066.AppleLink
   2:512/114.FidoNet (MacSaga Motherboard)       The Netherlands