OpenStep On Solaris Readied For Beta

• By Frank Hayes Intel-based PCs; improved sys­ tomers will be adopting objects with the addition of OpenStep tem administration, scalability, now: those who find procedural and DOE, and OpenStep on Solaris, the first there is no ab­ im­ and E-mail; and support for en­ tools inadequate to create or solute requirement plementation of the portable to rewrite ob­ hanced-mode DOS and Windows modify applications," said Bud any applications, ject-oriented environment jointly he said. applications via SoftPC. Tribble, Sunsoft vice president Some rewriting developed by SunSoft and Next, of existing Digital Equipment, Hewlett­ of object products. Other Solaris NextStep applications will go to beta users early may be Packard, and Data General have users will continue to use con­ necessary, but year, Sunsoft said last week. Next will bundle also announced plans to imple­ ventional programming tools much of Few users are expected the transition technolo­ to ment OpenStep-compatible and languages, Tribble said. gy into want the new object the developer version of Sunsoft's first OpenStep im­ NextStep technology initially, 3.3, said Eric Chu, plementation, which will go to product manager Sunsoft said. But those for deploy­ beta users in the first quarter of ment who do can expect technologies at Next. a next year, will be part of Sun­ fairly smooth transition The developer version, which soft's Distributed Object Environ­ will from existing NextStep begin beta-testing this ment (DOE), which will also in­ month, won't support the Open­ applications-with some poten­ technology, and Next has dis­ clude an object communication Step API, which will be imple­ tial incompatibilities, according cussed porting OpenStep to an system complying with the Ob­ mented in NextStep 4.0, but will to developers who have exam­ in Microsoft's ject Management Group's Com­ include FoundationKit, a more ined the OpenStep specification. Windows family. mon Object Request Broker Ar­ portable class that re­ Both Sunsoft and Next have "With OpenStep on all the chitecture, along with a C++ places NextStep's AppKit in recently released new versions of different platforms, the you're final­ , object debug­ transition to OpenStep, Chu said. their operating systems that lay ly going to begin achieving gers, and administrative tools. Porting existing N extStep the foundation for a later full im­ open systems goals of the right Developers will be able to apps to OpenStep on Solaris plementation of the OpenStep hardware for is each user, scal­ mix and match C++ and Objec­ complicated by both OpenStep's . In October, Sunsoft began able from the office automation tive C as needed improvements over shipping Solaris 2.4, which will user to the back of the glass using Sun soft Work­ St'AIIDARD NextStep and the form the base for OpenStep house," said Ted Shelton, presi­ shop for C++, which lllt'ERFACES parts of N extStep when it ships next year. And last dent of systems integrator In­ is being enhanced to not addressed in week, Next began shipping formation Technology Solu­ accept Objective C the OpenStep spec­ NextStep 3.3, which includes key tions in Chicago. syntax, Tribble said. ification, Informa­ transition elements for users "I don't know if many people That should ease one tion Technology planning to migrate applications in the commercial software realm transition problem for Solaris Solutions' Shelton said. from NextStep to OpenStep. are thinking about it, but my cus­ developers, whose greatest diffi­ Apart from changes in the NextStep 3.3 is available now tomers in internal corporate de­ culty "mostly has to do with names of function calls and vari­ for Intel and Motorola micro­ velopment are certainly hoping learning to program with ob­ ables, OpenStep adds an en­ processors and is slated for PA­ that this is the case," he said. jects," Tribble said. hanced text object. It's a great im­ RISC and SPARC in mid-1995. But Sunsoft expects user Unlike the transition several provement over earlier versions, Pricing is $799 or $199 for up­ uptake to be slow, at least years ago from SunOS to So­ but it will break existing code grades. Enhancements include among Solaris users. that laris, the underlying operating subclasses the old version of the support for a broader range of "Only a small set of cus- ...... system will remain the same string object, Shelton said...... -