[fpc-pascal] Re: command-line+Carbon template

[logrus at amberagents.com]

I didn't describe the problem I was experiencing becasue it seemed
unlikely that anyone else would ever find themselves in this particular
bind. That, and it didn't seem germane to the question I was asking --
namely, what to include in the project so as to access Carbon file
routines from a command-line app (thanks for answering that one, Jonas!).

But Felipe asked, so here goes --

I am porting a program from CodeWarrior Pascal under Mac OS 9 to FPC/Xcode
under Mac OSX 10.4, and I've encountered an anomaly that seems to bear on
FPC's (Turbo-Pascal-based) file i/o, as follows:

The program I'm porting needs to intercommunicate with a large piece of
legacy LISP code (running under Windows 98) via a primitive file-exchange
protocol. The way it works is: my Pascal code writes a file containing a
query to a shared folder, then waits in a tight loop for the LISP to read
and delete it and write a response-file to the same folder, which my code
then reads and deletes, and so on. Embarrassingly dumb, I know, but I'm
not in a position to upgrade the LISP code to a more modern IPC protocol.
:(

Be all that as it may, this whole Rube Goldberg runs great when compiled
under CodeWarrior using MPW file i/o routines. With FPC's Turbo routines,
I'm seeing some strange "race conditions" that lead me to believe the FPC
version of the program perhaps is not completely relinquishing its hold on
a file even after it's been flushed and closed. Whatever the cause, the
end result is that the file persists in the shared folder after the LISP
code thinks it's deleted it, confusing matters in a big way.

I've been thinking that I might evade the problem if I dropped back to
native Mac file i/o (StandardFile or equivalent). I can't go Carbon whole
hog, because my app is supposed to be faceless and, in fact,
cross-platform.

Under the circumstances, I despaired of constructing a simple code snippet
that would illustrate the problem, so I just asked the key question
regarding how to give a command-line (Terminal) app access to the Mac
FileManager routines. Sorry for any confusion.

Bill

PS: In this context, "flaky" = erratic and incomprehensible. :)

> ------------------------------
>
> I do not know what the word flaky means, but it would probably be
> better if you describe your problem with the standard pascal I/O in
> FPC so someone can help you. I have never had problems with it. And
> what is the turbo-based I/O? TStream?
>
> --
> Felipe Monteiro de Carvalho
>
> ------------------------------
>
> That works exactly the same as with using a C, Objective-C or C++
> project in Xcode: just add Carbon.framework to your project (Project-
>  >Add to Project... -> navigate to /System/Library/Frameworks ->
> select Carbon.framework -> click "Add".
>
> (note: *never* select frameworks from SDK's, but always in the regular
> system hierarchy; if you then tell Xcode to use a particular SDK, it
> will prepend all the regular system paths with the SDK paths).
>
>
> Jonas