Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac.programmer:5606 comp.sys.mac:30052
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!apple!keith
From: keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: DTS and Compatibility (Was: MF)
Message-ID: <28878@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 13 Apr 89 03:44:16 GMT
References: <1562@neoucom.UUCP> <28399@apple.Apple.COM> <3637@brunix.UUCP> <1304@internal.Apple.COM> <3918@brunix.UUCP>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 35

In article <3918@brunix.UUCP> omh@zaphod.UUCP (Owen M. Hartnett) writes:
>
>Maybe I'm wrong, but if you put up a standard, particularly on an issue
>as clear cut as this: (0=computer running finder, 1=computer running
>multi-finder, 2=computer running a/ux, 3 = computer running ???), you
>will nip a lot of compatibility problems in the bud.

There are problems with scheme. What if item 3 becomes defined some day.
Suppose that Apple comes out with Zowie-Finder that offers some or all of the
features of MultiFinder, in addition to some new ones. How does a program take
advantage of these features? Any program that checks to see if the field holds
a 1 will not realize that it can also run under 3. Neither can you assume that
every system that returns a number greater than 1 will have all of the features
of 1.

The answer is to do what we've been saying all along; test for the features
you need. Then, if we come out with Zowie-Finder you will automatically take
advantage of the common features in it.

>Basically what I'm saying is that people will do it anyway, so why not
>legalize it?  

Because we are trying to get people to NOT do it so that their programs will
work well in the future. By legalizing it, we will have to support it in the
future, which will limit us in the ways that we can expand the system. If you
check for the presence of MultiFinder, it may not be possible for us to come
out with Zowie-Finder.


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Keith Rollin  ---  Apple Computer, Inc.  ---  Developer Technical Support
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"Argue for your Apple, and sure enough, it's yours" - Keith Rollin, Contusions