The (highly unofficial) FIDONET OS2PROG C++ compiler pros and cons list
   =======================================================================

                                GLOSSARY
                                ========


  What is the OS/2 Developers' Toolkit ?

    The OS/2 Developers' Toolkit version 3.0 comprises the header files,
    link libraries, sample source, API reference, and PM utilities for
    OS/2 Development.

    All of the commercial C++ compilers for OS/2 come with the OS/2
    Developers' Toolkit bundled, although not all C++ compilers are up to
    date (for details see the pros and cons list).  It is also available
    separately (IBM part number 61G1416).

    The Developer Connection CD-ROMs contain the 1.3, 2.0, and 3.0
    versions of the Toolkit.  The 1.3 Toolkit contains the documentation
    for the 16-bit VIO, MOU, and KBD subsystems from OS/2 1.0, which
    people writing full-screen text-mode OS/2 programs will find useful.


  What is the OS/2 Developers' Assistance Programme ?

    The DAP is a service from IBM for developers that provides BBS
    technical support, marketing and product information.  You need to
    prove that you are developing an OS/2 application.


  What is the OS/2 Developers' Connection ?

    A common fallacy is that this is part of the DAP.  Although DAP
    membership gives cheaper subscription rates to DevCon, this only
    applies to the U.S. DAP, and not to DAP in any other countries.

    The DevCon is a yearly subscription that gives you four issues of the
    DevCon CD-ROMs and access to a private area of the OS2DF2 forum on
    CompuServe, allowing you to talk directly to IBM developers.

    The CD-ROMs contain a wealth of source code, tools, development
    utilities, and documentation for OS/2 programmers.  The current DevCon
    CD-ROMs comprise "base" CD-ROMs and the Developer Connection for LAN
    Systems CD-ROMs. At extra cost you can take out a DevCon subscription
    that includes the Developer Connection Device Driver Kit CD-ROM as
    well.

    Various pre-release tools released by developers on the ISV program
    are also distributed on the DevCon CD-ROMs, such as the MetaWare High
    C++ cross-compiler for PowerPC OS/2 and the Prominaire Universal
    Resource Editor.  All of the OS/2 Developers' Toolkits from 1.3 to 3.0
    are also included, as are toolkits for customising the EPM Editor.  At
    various times service packs and debug kernels are also distributed on
    the DevCon CD-ROMs.

    The optional DevCon DKK CD-ROM is necessary for those developers
    producing device drivers.  Support for DEVICE and BASEDEV drivers, and
    Presentation Manager video drivers is supplied.  Also supplied is real
    source code for many of the standard drivers shipped with OS/2 such as
    OS2DASD.DMD, IBM1S506.ADD, COM.SYS, and VCOM.SYS.  Tools and libraries
    necessary for device driver development are also supplied.  Although
    no C++ compiler is supplied, with the addition of the 1.3 Toolkit from
    the DevCon base CD-ROMs and a pack from Watcom's FIDONET site you can
    write device drivers in Watcom C++ 10.0b.

    Part numbers for the various volumes (this may now be out of date):

      83G9755 DevCon (base), vol. 5, Disk 1 of 2 ("Warp Special Edition")
      83G9647 DevCon (base), vol. 5, Disk 1 of 1 (superseded by the above)
      83G9648 DevCon (base), vol. 5, Disk 2 of 2
      83G9655 DevCon for LAN Systems, vol. 1, Disk 1 of 1
      83G9747 DevCon Device Driver Kit, vol. 1, Disk 1 of 1
      83G9659 DevCon Software Shopper, vol. 1, Disk 1 of 1

      06H2024 DevCon (base), vol. 4, Disk 1 of 2
      06H2025 DevCon (base), vol. 4, Disk 2 of 2
      06H1971 DevCon (base), vol. 3, Disk 1 of 2
      06H1972 DevCon (base), vol. 3, Disk 2 of 2
      82G4701 DevCon (base), vol. 2, Disk 1 of 1
      71G5385 DevCon (base), vol. 1, Disk 1 of 1


  What is Workframe ?

    Again available separately, this is a compiler independent development
    environment.  Workframe is a means of managing projects, and uses
    compiler-supplied DLLs to handle things like generating makefiles, and
    displaying options settings notebooks for the compiler, linker, and
    resource tools.  It integrates with EPM (or other editors) to allow
    you to edit source files at the point of error.  I've had two
    projects, one IBM CSet++ and one MetaWare High C++, both being built
    *simultaneously* in Workframe.


  What are the System Object Model (SOM), Distributed SOM (DSOM), and
  DirectToSOM C++ ?

    SOM is a language-independent run-time environment for class and
    object support.  Distributed SOM allows programs to share SOM classes
    and objects amongst themselves and across networks.  DirectToSOM C++
    compilers allow SOM classes to be defined and used using standard C++
    class syntax.

    See the SOMObjects Travel Guide and the DirectToSOM Intro included in
    the Pros and Cons Archive for more details.


  What is the SOMObjects Developers' Toolkit ?

    The OS/2 Developers' Toolkit 2.1 only supports SOM version 1.x.  SOM
    2.x requires a different toolset, works differently, and uses IDL.
    The SOMObjects Developers' Toolkit 2.1 contains a a SOM 2.1 compiler,
    IDL files, and documentation.  It is available separately, with IBM
    part number 59G5667 (check the version number when ordering).

    See the SOMObjects Travel Guide included in the Pros and Cons archive
    for more details.


   / JdeBP .             / (c) Copyright 1994-1996 All Rights Reserved. .
   / JdeBP{at}donor2.demon.co.uk                         FIDONET 2:440/4.0 .

... Another excellent OS/2 day goes by.

--- Blue Wave/OS2 v2.20 [NR]