One problem Mac programmers run into when dealing with PCI is something called 'little-endian.' A little-endian system defines multi-byte values so the address points to the least significant byte, and the last address points to the most significant byte. Macintosh computers are all 'big-endian,' where the address of a multi-byte value is the. Why programmers think Mac OS X is the best operating system to use; 10 best Mac programming resources for beginners; 10 things every Mac coder should. I'd strongly recommend the MacBook Pro. Although the MacBook Air is a solid package, it can't handle too many tasks well. The MacBook Pro's have faster processors, graphics units that are more powerful and of course the amazing Retina Display th.

Macintosh Programmer's Workshop or MPW, is a software development environment for the Classic Mac OSoperating system, written by Apple Computer. For Macintosh developers, it was one of the primary tools for building applications for System 7.x and Mac OS 8.x and 9.x. Initially MPW was available for purchase as part of Apple's professional developers program, but Apple made it a free download after it was superseded by CodeWarrior. On Mac OS X it was replaced by the Project BuilderIDE, which eventually became Xcode.

Design[edit]

MPW provided a command line environment and tools, including 68k and PowerPC assemblers as well as Pascal, C and C++compilers. The shell environment is somewhat similar to Unix shells in design, but is designed around the Macintosh's character set and GUI, replacing the usual terminal environment with a 'worksheet' interface, allowing the user to select and run arbitrary sections of a shell script or to redo commands with no retyping. In addition, command line tools were commonly provided with a somewhat standardized graphical interface named Commando that provided limited access to the command line capabilities of the program. The debuggers were not integrated into MPW like most IDEs of today but the language compilers supported the symbolic debugging information file format used by the debugger. MPW supported a source-level debugger called SADE (Symbolic Application Debugging Environment). SADE was not an MPW Tool, but ran as a separate application with a user interface similar to MPW.

Apple's compilers had some features that were not common on other platforms—for example, the Pascal compiler was object-oriented, while the C and C++ compilers included support for length-prefixed strings (needed for Pascal-oriented APIs).

Pascal was Apple's original preferred language for Macintosh software development,^[1] and MPW was initially released with only Pascal support. A C compiler was released with MPW 2.0. The MPW C compiler was written under contract for Apple by Greenhills.^[2] In addition, the original MPW C compiler was known for its casual and frequently humorous error messages ('we already did this function'),^[3] as well as occasionally addressing users by name.^[4] These quirks were not carried on after the PowerPC transition, when Apple replaced the originals with compilers written by Symantec. Pascal support was no longer provided by the mid-90s due to declining popularity of the language.

MPW was always targeted to a professional audience and was seldom used by hobbyist developers due to the considerable price for the package; by the time it was made freeware it had long since been superseded by offerings from Symantec and Metrowerks, as well as Apple's own development tools inherited from NeXT and distributed for free with OS X. It was also occasionally available as a wrapper environment for third-party compilers, a practice used by both Metrowerks and Absoft among others. Apple has officially discontinued further development of MPW and the last version of OS X to run it is 10.4 'Tiger', the last one to support the Classic environment. Apple maintained a web site and mailing lists that supported the software long after its discontinuation, but that site now redirects to the Xcode page.

MPW Shell[edit]

The MPW Shell featured redirection of output to files, as well as to windows. If a file were open, the output would go to the file and to the open window. This redirection of output required significant patching out of the file system calls so that tools need not do anything special to inherit this feature: the MPW Shell did all of the work.

The MPW Shell command language was based on the Unix csh language, but was extended to support the main features of the Macintosh GUI. It had simple commands to create menus, dialogs (prompts), and new shell windows. The cursor could be controlled, and MPW scripts or tools could easily be attached to a menu item. Command key shortcuts could be specified. Window size and location could be controlled. These features were popular in commercial production environments, where complicated build and packaging processes were all controlled by elaborate scripts.

The shell had some important differences from its Unix counterparts. For instance, the classic Mac OS had nothing comparable to Unix fork(), so MPW tools were effectively called as subroutines of the shell; only one could be running at any one time, and tools could not themselves run other tools. These limitations were the inspiration for the MacRelix project, a 'Unix-like system' for classic Mac OS.^[5]

Look and feel[edit]

Functionally, a worksheet is a cross between a text editor document and an xterm window. Each worksheet window is persistently bound to a file. The user may type anything anywhere in the window, including commands, which can be executed via the keyboard's Enter key; command output appears at the insertion point. Unlike an xterm window, an MPW worksheet is always in visual editing mode and can be freely reorganized by its user. Hence a worksheet can be purely a command script or purely a text document or a mixture of the two—an integrated document describing the history, maintenance procedures and test results of a software project. The commercial BBEdit text editor retains a feature it calls 'shell worksheets' on Mac OS X. The Emacs text editor provides shell buffers, a similar feature that works across platforms.

Other tools[edit]

MPW included a version of make. Its syntax was conceptually similar to that of Unix make, but the MacRomanlong f character to indicate dependencies. More significantly, since the limitations of the shell precluded the make program from running tools itself, it had to work by composing a script of compile/link actions to be run, then delivering that to the shell for execution. While this was good enough most of the time, it precluded makefiles that could make on-the-fly decisions based on the results of a previous action.

Although not implemented as MPW tools, the package also came with several source-level debuggers through its history; SourceBug and SADE (Symbolic Application Debugging Environment) were used on MC680x0 systems, while the Power Mac Debugger (known during development as R2Db^[6]) provided both local and remote debugging services for PowerPC systems, the latter by using a server program known as a 'debugger nub' on the computer being debugged.

Writing MPW tools[edit]

MPW included a set of standard C libraries sufficient for developers to build their own MPW tools. Many Unix utilities could be ported with little change. One point of difficulty was the Mac OS newline convention, which was different from Unix. Another was the pathname separator, ':' in Mac OS, but many Unix utilities assumed '/'. Many Unix utilities also assumed pathnames would not have embedded spaces, a common practice on Macs.

For a number of years, the GNU toolchain included portability support for MPW as part of libiberty. This was used to support MPW-hosted cross-compilers used by General Magic and several other developers.

History[edit]

MPW was started in late 1985 by Rick Meyers, Jeff Parrish, and Dan Smith (now Dan Keller). It was going to be called the Macintosh Programmer's System, or MPS. (Notice that coincidentally the three last names start with MPS.) 'MPS ' has always been the creator signature of the MPW Shell as a result of this. Since MPW was to be the successor to the Lisa Workshop, they decided to rename it the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop. Before the arrival of MPW, Mac applications had to be cross-developed on a Lisa.

The MPW Pascal compiler is descended from the Lisa Pascal compiler. Apple's Larry Tesler worked with Niklaus Wirth to come up with Object Pascal extensions which Ken Doyle incorporated in one of the last versions of the Lisa Pascal compiler. This enabled MacApp.

Early contributors included Rick Meyers (project lead and MPW Shell command interpreter), Jeff Parrish (MPW Shell editor), Dan Smith (MPW Shell commands), Ira Ruben (assembler and many of the tools including Backup, PasMat, and more), Fred Forsman (Make, Print, SADE, and assembler macro processor), Al Hoffman (Pascal compiler) Roger Lawrence (Pascal and C compilers, including the error messages), Ken Friedenbach (linker), Johan Strandberg (Rez, DeRez, RezDet), Steve Hartwell (C libraries), and Dan Allen (MacsBug, editor). The Apple Numerics Group also contributed math libraries.

MPW 1.0 was completed on September 24, 1986. A shell memory leak was fixed on October 10, 1986, and MPW 1.0.1 was born. MPW 2.0 was completed on July 20, 1987, and MPW 3.0 was done November 30, 1988. MPW 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 came in the next few years. MPW 3.4 was completed July 14, 1995, and MPW 3.5 was done December 17, 1999. MPW 3.6 was under development when work was halted in late 2001.

Mac Keyboard For Programmers

During MPW's twilight years, Greg Branche supported MPW unofficially through the Apple MPW-dev mailing list. The list, and the lists.apple.com server that hosted it, was planned to be shut down January 17, 2014,^[7] a decision that was later reversed.^[8]

Legacy[edit]

MPW can still be used to develop for Mac OS X, but support is limited to Carbon applications for PowerPC-based computers. To develop Mac OS X applications based on other technologies, one must use either Xcode or another OS X-compatible development environment. MPW also included a version control system called Projector; this has been superseded by modern version control systems and is no longer supported in Mac OS X.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Webster, Bruce (February 1986). 'Programming Tool and the Atari ST'. BYTE. p. 331. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
2. ^'Re: [Humor ] Old MPW C error messages'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
3. ^MPW C Error Messages, May 15, 1994 - Robert Lentz
4. ^'Re: Will the last one to leave please turn off the lights?'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
5. ^'MacRelix Origins'.
6. ^Short for RISC 2-machine Debugger; http://www.mactech.com/articles/develop/issue_17/Falk_Topping_final.html
7. ^'Will the last one to leave please turn off the lights?'. Archived from the original on 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2014-05-27.
8. ^'Reprieve!'. Archived from the original on 2014-02-14. Retrieved 2014-05-27.

External links[edit]

• Official MPW website at the Wayback Machine (archived May 14, 2011)
• MPW 3.5 Download from Apple FTP Mirror & Updates

Summary: Macs are quick and reliable machines, yet sometimes they might hang up or run too slow. To enhance your productivity, try to download and install these apps. They are available at an affordable price, and thousands of Mac owners who use them daily can prove their efficiency.

Macs are quick and reliable machines, yet sometimes they might hang up or run too slow. In this case, you have two options: either to upgrade the hardware or to optimize the operating system. You might also consider buying a new Mac, but you don’t really need to spend that much to boost your productivity. The reasons for slowing down or hanging up might be different, but some simple and efficient apps are there to fix them.

Here, you can find a selection of apps that will enhance the performance of your device, clean it, and tune it up. Some apps can be downloaded free of charge for a trial period, and then you may purchase them at an affordable price. They are compatible with a vast variety of Apple devices and will deliver an impressive result even if you aren’t a geek.

Stellar SpeedUp Mac

This app promises to enhance the speed of your device by up to 25%. It’s ideal for beginners since it doesn’t separate speeding up from cleaning the unnecessary files. Technically, these are different processes. But Mac users with minimum experience will probably want their computers to just “work faster and deliver better performance.” The good news is that Stellar SpeedUp Mac helps achieve this result.

This app will do the following:

• delete trash and leftovers, administrate extensions, system junks, and log files from the boot volume of the computer;
• detect the boot volume automatically and suggest scanning;
• make custom scans to clean up the volumes other than the boot volume;
• uninstall unused widgets, plug-ins, apps.

Just dragging and dropping an app is enough to uninstall it. You can preview the files prior to deleting them with the Quick View button. To refine the search of the unnecessary files, you may apply filters, and a special finder will help you detect all the duplicate files. You can automate tasks with a convenient scheduler.

The price for Stellar SpeedUp Mac is $39.99. You can buy it for a single device only.

MacKeeper

Among all the numerous solutions created for protecting your device and enhancing your internet experience, this one delivers really efficient multi-layered protection. Also, it will speed up your Mac so that you don’t need to buy a new one.

The VPN Private Connect feature secures all your public Wi-Fi connections. StopAd blocks irritating ads and won’t allow advertisers to track you online. ID Theft Guard stops compromised online accounts from being hacked. This way, you won’t fall victim of an identity theft and will stay protected from data breaches.

In addition, MacKeeper will reduce the startup time of your device, update the installed apps to their latest versions automatically, and free up memory space instantly.

The price of this app depends on its period of usage:

Mac Backgrounds For Programmers

• 1-month plan — €14.95 per month, billed every month;
• 6-month plan — €9.94 per month, billed every 6 months;
• 12-month plan — €4.21 per month, billed every year;
• 24-months plan — €4.95 per month, billed every 2 years.

MacKeeper also has a useful Track My Mac feature that will allow you to find your computer in case it was lost or stolen. It will take a photo of the suspect and let you know their location and network details in a report.

CCleaner Pro

You might remember this app from your Windows PC times before you switched to a Mac. This app was widely used until it was hacked in 2017. Now, its reputation is restored but few Mac owners know they can install this app on their devices as well.

CCleaner Pro will clean your device and prevent it from running out of space, update apps, or products instantly to minimize security risks, keep the browsing history private, as well as detect and delete internet trackers.

It allows businesses to get the most from their endpoints, to boost security and to customize the cleaning to the needs of a particular company. The product line for business contains 4 different solutions: Cloud, Network, Business, and Technician. This allows the customers to select those options that best fit the size and the specifics of their enterprise.

The free version of CCleaner will just scan and clean your device. If you’re also interested in automatic updates, real-time monitoring, and premium support, you should purchase the Pro version with the following pricing:

• 1 year and 1 computer — $24.95;
• 1 year and 3 computers — $39.95;
• 2 years and 3 computers — $79.95.

MacBooster

The concept of this app is it is an “all-in-one” solution. It promises to accelerate the start-up times of the device, to clean its disk drive, to protect it from viruses or malware. MacBooster finds and deletes duplicate files, plus 20 types of junk files, optimizes the hard disk, fixes disk permission issues, keeps your personal data protected, and clears the malicious tracking data.

At the menu bar, you’ll find the MacBooster Mini. It displays the status of the firewall and network, lets you know the usage of memory, and allows you to clean the memory with a single click. If your aim is an enhanced online experience, you may turn the MacBooster Mini into a Lightning Booster mode.

This app will give you a 2-week free trial. Then you’ll have to select among the following plans:

• Lite — 1 device, $49.95;
• Standard — 3 devices, $109.95;
• Premium — 5 devices, $177.95.

All of the plans suggest a one-time purchase, but they differ in their features and capabilities. A big drawback of MacBooster is that 24/7 customer support is available only to Premium Users. With the Lite plan, you only get to access the full system clean and boost.

Conclusion

All of the above-listed apps have a polished design, an intuitive interface, and are lightweight. You’ll be able to download and start using them without any professional help. Their support technicians deal with customer queries quickly and efficiently. Thousands of Mac owners who use these apps on a daily basis can confirm that they are worth every second and every cent you spend on them.