First; the present. In a short time we will release an upgrade package for AMOSPro.
This package will contain:
- Expanded and bugfixed version of AMOSPro and the compiler
- New extensions
- New tools
- Developer infos
- Tons of AMOS materials
Following is a detailed description of what you will get:
Expanded and bugfixed version of AMOSPro and the compiler
We will try to fix as many bugs as possible and expand some
AMOS functions. In particular we are working on the AMOS Equates system.
This system is a very good idea, but badly implemented. It will work in a
totally different way, similar to other languages. Also we have changed the
Include command; now it does not import a source in your program, but import
your symbols. So what are those symbols? Thanks to the collaboration with Wouter Van
Oortmerssen (the author of Amiga E) AMOS will be able to import and use the
Amiga E modules. We have extended the Struct command, which now now accept a
C-like access method. For instance: A=Struct(S,"RastPort,BitMap") : Struct(S,"Window,UserData")=255
In the first example you define the variable S as a pointer to a RastPort
structure and then the BitMap field will be returned. In the second example, S is a ptr
to a Window, and the UserData field will be set to 255.
New extensions
Since seriously upgrading the main AMOS code is not possible,
we have decided to expand it trough our extensions.
These extensions will be added:
- Game Extension
- OsDevKit Extension
- AMCAF Extension
- GUI Extension
- FD Extension
- Turbo Plus 2.15 Registered
- PowerBob 1.1 Registered
- Amos3D (not confirmed)
So if you have all of those extensions you already have the new AMOS? The
answer is NO! These extensions will be powered and new functions will be added. Thanks to
the AMOS sources the new extensions will be better and faster.
The GUI Extension v2.0 will offer locale support, eXtra Fast Animation
(XFA) support, better IFF support, drag'n'drop, app icons, new advanced internet
functions and a lot more!
Together with the OsDevKit you will have the most advanced AmigaOS support
possible. It supports all the programming stuff like datatypes, RTG, boopsi, locale, gadtools,
intutition, gfx cards, etc.
The new FD Extension v3.0 creates a better code. As you know it allows
you to integrate all the funcitons of standard Amiga libraries (MUI, Exec, Dos etc) as AMOS
commands using in-line code.
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Probably the most famous extension AMCAF arrives in a new version with even more power.
The Game Extension is the game coders dream. It allows you to create your
game with AGA support (screens, bobs, gfx, etc.) with an incredible speed.
The bobs are amazingly 4 times faster than standard AMOS! But the most important detail
is the totally OS friendly design. You will even get complete CDDA (Compact Disc Digital
Audio) support and may other useful functions.
We are currently working on AMOS3D and hope to include it in the upgrade release. This
extensions offers complete access to all the system resources and cover all the
programming requirements.
New tools
Some new tools will be added to the default AMOS distribution. Among others they are:
IED - The Intuition Editor
This program allows you to use the AMOSPro editor with an intuition screen. Now
you can program in the WB environment
AmilED - The AMOSPro Interface Language Editor
This tool allows you to easily create your interfaces (and sources) in a few minutes.
You can directly edit them or create the interfaces using the mouse
(like GadToolsBox) and the source code will be automaticaly created for you.
Thanks to this function you can create your interfaces without any knowledge
of the AMOS interface language.
GUI Converter and GTBoxConverter
This tool allows you to easily import your GadToolsBox GUI in your AMOS
programs as GUI bank or AMOS (OsDevKit) source code.
And ofcourse bugfixed version of all the standard AMOSPro tools like the Compiler Shell
and the AMAL editor.
Developer infos
The new AMOSPro v2.x developer kit will be included, with all the extra tools
never released in the old versions.
Tons of AMOS materials
Examples, demos, games, sources, extensions and tons of other materials coming from the
Mushroom PD library (the new official AMOS library) will be included.
All this stuff will be released on the Amos Developer CD (a disk version
will also be available). The release date is December '98. The price is not decided yet,
but it will be very cheap.
Finally the future of AMOS. Due to the recent Amiga Inc announcement, the PPC development, the new
top secret CPU and OS it is clear that AMOS needs to be heavily upgraded to follow
and support the new upcoming standards. But since upgrading AMOS is not possible
due to the fact that the code is not portable to different CPUs, we have decided to develop a
new language. Totally written in pure C++, it'll be easily portable on the
different CPUs like 68k and PPC. It will be totally OS friendly and the compiler
can optimize your code. The project name is AMOS/NG. More info about this project
will follow in the future.
Pietro Ghizzoni, Lead coder
30th July 1998
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