[fpc-pascal] Re: MacMode More Info / which compatibility mode and object class type to use with Mac OS X, XCode and Carbon

[Pierre Paré]

Thank for you answers and the links

I did subscribe to the list but it seems I needed to complete the  
process with a confirmation.
The FPC list and wiki servers are presently not responding ; my  
confirmation is bouncing back.
I could read some answers with a news reader program but was not able  
to reply.
This message comes from a email program.

With my XCode compiling configuration in MacPas mode
	the "class" keyword doesn't compile but need the TStringList type  
from Classes unit.
	the "object" keyword must be used but doesn't accept TStringList type  
from Objects unit .
	it seem to use dynamic class model with the "object" type keyword  
instead.

	can't use class methods and class components ,

I wrongly assumed, since the installation into XCode had made it  
MacMode by default
   	target build option FPC_COMMON_OPTIONS = -Mmacpas -Sgi
  that it was necessary ;
I understand that ObjFPC has the most complete feature list, combining  
those of FPC and Delphi compatibility modes.
I could remove -MMacPas from the FPC_COMMON_OPTIONS of the target  
proprieties and remplace it with -Mobjfpc.

I still intend to use XCode since it's the prefered IDE to develop on  
Mac and that enventualy I'll want to use Carbon (baby steps) and  
eventualy Cocoa ; I'll probably need to learn ObjC to get there. I'm  
getting myself acquaint with the environment, the framework and the  
IDE  first and get right to programming. I don't want to relearn C/C++/ 
OjbC on top of that but start with something I already know.

If you want to get up to speed on Carbon programming in FPC, I have
some very detailed tutorial/demo programs available from Pascal
Central or on my own Pascal References page.

These are strictly carbon and do not include any object or class
objects.   It also requires macpas mode and the MacOSAll.p unit.

I will eventualy use the Carbon framework.  Is the MacPas mode still a  
choice or is mandatory to use the Carbon framework ?

----  the longer version of my thougth process at the end, for short,  
here is the conclusion  -------

Then to eventualy continue to program with Carbon framework, I will  
need to
	to interface smoothly with MacOSAll Carbon framework which is   
compiled MacPas mode,
	encapsulate the procedural nature of the Carbon library in FPC  
objects or classes.

The question becomes then
		Will an objFPC compiled program be able to use the MacPas compiled  
MacOSAll unit  ?
  If it can, I guess I may choose to use either FPC objects or  
classes.  To which the answer seems yes.

But if the MacPas mode is necessary or better to interface with the  
MacPas compiled Carbon framework
or if Carbon does contain objects to be compatible with,
or if I choose to stay in MacPas mode
the question remains : which one does the MacPas compatibility mode  
uses :
	static FPC object or dynamic FPC class ,
	with base object framework objects Unit of Classes unit
so that my objects remains compatible with the Carbon framework ?

It seems to be implemented as a class type and compatible with units  
that uses class type but uses the object type syntax.

thank you

P.S. Is it my Mail program who send the message in HTML ?


--------- more thougths ---------------------------------

Does the Carbon framework uses objects. If Carbon uses object type,  
which one
	static or stack allocatable, dynamicly created with NEW handle  
(double) reference, explicitly dereferenced record object type
	dynamicly created with "NEW" , implicitly (handle (double) or  
single ?) reference, implicitly dereferenced class type

I did read the documentation but it is not organized by mode, the  
information are vastly distributed in different manuals and web sites  
and assume prior knowledge of how the different dialects implement  
their objects which I don't have :

	the user's manual has chapters on porting from TP or Delphi but not  
from Mac ; I did find the wiki page on Porting to Mac

	The programer's manual has some information on modes and MacPas mode  
but
		seems outdated : use Mac instead of MacPas
		much on macros nothing on object model

	The unit reference doesn't specify much which units to use on  
differents platforms and/or modes but the user's manual does but not  
for OS X
	It did mention that macpas unit was automaticly used in macpas mode.
	A wiki page did mention that the MacOSAll and universal interfaces  
were available to use but I didn't find the unit. (oh yes there it is  
in the Packages directory)

	The language reference chapters on Objects and Classes insunuate  
about the difference in static object vs dynamic class
	but doesn't indicate which is used in different dialect and platform.

	the MacMode wiki page only has the cryptic mention "Object Pascal Mac  
style" which doesn't say much if I don't already know how Mac style  
object is implemented.

I even try to read the RTL units sources but I do not know where to  
look in this forest. I didn't find MacOSAll and Macpas has mostly  
static definitions.
The only indice I found is
	it uses objfpc compiling mode
	Function Member (Instance : TObject; AClass : TClass) : boolean
which suggest that macpas mode uses
	the dynamic class FPC model
	with the base framework from Classes unit

Oh wait, there is MacOsAll in Packages directory.
	It use MacPas compiling mode.
	I could find any TObject or TClass nor object or class type ; it  
seems not object-oriented at all but totaly structured procedural  
style. But it uses the word "object" a lot.
I would assume that the pointer to record style used in the Carbon  
MacOSAll unit
translate more easily into a FPC static object type.


To summarize what I could gather

for compatibilty mode TurboPascal
	only System unit automaticaly used
	use static object type with Objects unit

for compatibilty mode Delphi and ObjFPC
	System, objpas units automaticaly used
	use static object type with TObject and base framework in Objects unit
or	use dynamic reference class type with TObject in System unit and  
base framework in Classes unit

for compatibility with Macintosh OS X and/or Carbon framework
	System, macpas units are automaticaly used (compiled in objfpc  
compatibility mode)
	use MacOSAll (compiled in macpas compatibility mode) for Carbon  
framework (universal inteface libraries)
	
-------  back to my conclusion ----------

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