LETTERS

I encountered a technical error in the Macintosh Q & A section in the latest issue of
develop . The question was: "Is the maximum size for global and local data still 32K?"
The answer stated that the 32K limit for local (stack) data "is basically due to the
Motorola processor architecture." As stated in the answer, the LINK instruction is
limited to a 16-bit offset. Unstated in the answer is that the compiler can easily work
around this limitation. Suppose your program declares 50K bytes of local data. The
compiler should generate a LINK instruction for the first 32K bytes and then adjust
the stack for the remaining 18K bytes needed by the routine. If the program is
compiled specifically for the 68020 or 68030, the compiler can issue a LINKL (link
long) instruction, which allows a full 32- bit offset.
--Chuck Lins

Thanks for the clarification. You're absolutely right, but of course for most of us it
doesn't make any difference; we don't write our compilers, we're slaves to them. I
guess the answer should have read "is basically due to the way that current compilers
handle local data." All you aspiring compiler writers, take note.
--Dave Johnson

After receiving Gorillas in the Disc (Developer CD Series   Volume VI) a few months
ago, I checked out the electronic versions of the develop issues that we did not have in
hardcopy, and came across something that prompted me to write. I was reading the
letters in develop  Issue 2 (April 1990) and saw a letter and response in which you
mentioned the "ever-popular audio track" from the develop CD.  Because we are an
Apple Partner, our copy of develop contains a card telling us that Developer
Essentials will be included in a folder on our Developer CD Series disc. Imagine my
disappointment when I realized that the disc Apple Partners received contained no
audio track. What a crime to deprive all us Partners of such a bonus! Please tell your
people that Partners want their audio!
--Bill Stoker

The Developer CD Series disc contains a superset of what's on the disc that's bound into
  develop (now called the Developer Essentials disc). Volume III of the Developer CD
Series ("A Disc Called Wanda") corresponds to develop Issue 2 and does indeed contain
the ever-popular audio track, as part of the CD Audio Toolkit demo. Were you looking
for an audio track on the latest Developer CD Series disc? If so, you would in fact not
find one there; there wasn't one on the corresponding Developer Essentials disc,
either. Rest assured that we won't deprive Apple Partners of any of the goodies we
provide on the Developer Essentials disc!
--Caroline Rose

First let me say that develop is great!

I read on page 5 of the latest issue that your group is now responsible for the
Developer CD Series .Gorillas in the Disc  is a bit of a disappointment. Not a lot of
really new stuff on it. That's not your fault, I know. There must be neat stuff floating
around in Apple somewhere!

Someone decided that the Q & A Stack should contain both Macintosh and Apple II GS
stuff. Boo, hiss! I tend to read through that stack looking for stuff I don't know, before I
know I need to know it! I was really confused by things that I had never heard of on the
Macintosh before, only to find they were on the Apple IIGS! Arrggh! Can you please
separate the II GS stuff and the Macintosh stuff into two stacks? And can you please go
back to the format of putting dots beside the new stuff?

The X Ref stuff is kinda neat. Can't wait for 7.0 aliasing!
--Scott Anguish

Thanks a lot for your letter and your words of encouragement. My group contributes to
the Developer CD Series, but we're not actually responsible for it. Besides adding more
new "neat" stuff, is there anything we could do to improve the disc? We're always
looking for suggestions!Sorry to hear that adding Apple  IIGS stuff to the Q & A stack
confused you so much (but I'm awfully glad to hear that you're browsing the Q & A
stack!). We put the II GS info in the stack hoping that Macintosh developers would see
how similar the two toolboxes are and perhaps get some extra mileage from their work
by porting their Macintosh application to the IIGS. It sounds like it's more confusing
than helpful, so we'll reevaluate our decision. What do the rest of you think about
combining II GS and Macintosh information in one stack?

In reply to your request for dots: The latest Q & A Stack has been reworked so much it's
practically all new, but in the future you can expect to once again see dots beside new
material. Also note that, starting with the latest stack, each card will show the date of
the last modification.
--Louella PizzutiJust a quick note to congratulate you and your staff on another fine
issue of develop (and in the hopes that I won't see a survey). I read it cover to cover,
and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the Macintosh Q & A. I kept turning the page
expecting to have seen the last question answered, but lo and behold, there were more
questions. It was better than Jeopardy. You really outdid yourselves!

Keep up the wonderful work, and please consider starting a new column: a soap opera
about the dogcow.

By the way, whose nose is lighting up the cover?
--Robert H. Zakon

Thanks for the letter. If we ever do a survey (and my boss has been pushing me to do
one ever since Issue 2 came out), I'll make sure that the surveyors know you're
officially exempt.

The nose on the cover belongs to Cleo Huggins, who has done all our covers and nose
what she's doing.
--Louella Pizzuti

COMMENTS We welcome timely letters to the editors, especially from readers
reacting to articles that we publish in develop . Letters should be addressed to
Caroline Rose (or, if technical, to Dave Johnson) at Apple Computer, Inc., 20525
Mariani Avenue, M/S 75- 2B, Cupertino, CA 95014 (AppleLink: CRose or
Johnson.DK).

All letters should include name and company name as well as address and phone
number. Letters may be excerpted or edited for clarity (or to make them look like they
say what we wish they did). *