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Most recent update was on July 30, 1996. If you'd like to
submit something to the FAQ or update something in the FAQ, feel
free to contact Don Yacktman or use our
handy FAQ submission form.
Will the MiscKit be ported to OPENSTEP?
Yes, it will. In fact, the port is under way. Those wishing to
participate should do the following:
- Obtain OPENSTEP 4.0 for Mach
- Contact Don Yacktman
Volunteers may choose what they would like to port or have something
assigned to them, whichever they prefer. Please contact Don before
you begin work so that nobody's work will be duplicated!
The MiscKit 2.0.0 is now available via the MiscKit
ftp site.
What will the MiscKit port to OPENSTEP look like?
The OPENSTEP MiscKit will be numbered with a version number starting
with "2". So MiscKit 2.x.y will be OPENSTEP compliant. The MiscKit
charter states that major version changes are not expected to be
source code compatible. This will be the case here--in fact, we hope
to redesign and improve all the objects in the kit. Feedback to us
on how the object interfaces could be improved is greatly welcomed.
Please note that these changes will mean that if you plan to port a
MiscKit based application to OPENSTEP, you will have a lot of work
to do to convert to the new API. (There will be facilities to help
make this a little less painful.)
Those of you who have the OPENSTEP prerelease already know about
"frameworks". Basically a super bundle containing a dynamic
library (analogous to a UNIX shlib or Windows DLL),
header files, kit resources, and documentation.
This is what the MiscKit will become. It will be
consolidated quite a bit so that there are four main frameworks--
one to parallel each of the Foundation Kit, AppKit, and EOF. A
fourth framework, the "compatability" framework will create "cover"
interfaces that look like the old 1.x MiscKit as much as possible.
Obviously, the MiscFoundation will work independent of
the AppKit and MiscAppKit. The MiscAppKit requires the MiscFoundation,
Foundation Kit, and AppKit, however. For the most part, we are
aiming for as few frameworks as possible.
The OPENSTEP MiscKit API changes will have several goals:
- Unify the MiscKit API
- Clean up the MiscKit API
- Reuse existing code in the NeXT kits as much as possible
- Reuse more of the code in the MiscKit (this will increase
inter-dependency between MiscKit objects, making it more coherent)
In keeping with these ideas, many of the MiscKit 1.x.y objects will
become categories of Foundation Kit objects. The goal is to provide
functionality that augments what is already provided with NeXT. We
do not intend to compete with NeXT. (If we have a significantly better
implementation of some object, then we'd still make that available,
in a form that can -poseAs: the NeXT object to replace it. However,
this is not expected to happen and is rather unlikely.)
What if I need to port a MiscKit app to OPENSTEP?
The smartest thing to do is to do some re-writing to make the app fit
into the new API. Unfortunately, we don't have the resources to
make conversion scripts the way NeXT has done. This means that
you'll have to do a little bit more work. If anyone would like to write
conversion scripts, that would be welcome.
As an interim solution, there will be MiscKit Compatability framework
which is OPENSTEP compatible to allow compilation of MiscKit apps
under OPENSTEP. This was not originally planned, but the need for
it to exist seems to be greater than originally anticipated.
What will happen to the NEXTSTEP MiscKit?
The 1.x.y MiscKit will still be supported for at least a year after
OPENSTEP ships. Enhancements and bug fixes will still be added to
the kit. After that time, we may or may not decide to discontinue
support, depending upon the MiscKit's user base (ie, how many have
switched over to OPENSTEP...).
When will the OPENSTEP MiscKit be released?
It is available as of July 31, 1996. The first several releases
will be very incomplete. As such, all MiscKit versions 2.0.x will be
considered alpha software. The number will increase to MiscKit 2.1.x
when the functionality in the OPENSTEP kit equals or exceeds that of
the NEXTSTEP kit. This is being done so that the work can be made
available to a wide audience more quickly. We hope this will help
accelerate the development, debugging, and design of the OPENSTEP kit.
For more information about the OPENSTEP MiscKit, please look at
the 2.0.0 release's
README
file.
How do I build the OPENSTEP MiscKit on NT?
Right now, you don't. Actually, it can be done, but requires quite a bit of modification of the source. Because Don Yacktman finally obtained a machine running Windows NT on December 12, 1997, he is now able to test the kit on NT. Thus, NT will be supported in future releases--versions 2.0.6 and onward--but you are on your own with any kit release before and including 2.0.5. Please submit any information you learn or any changes you make to Don as it may save him time. Every minute saved on this means minutes that can go toward extending the kit in other ways!
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