Apple Announces Unified Development Strategy for Next Generation
Applications as Part of Rhapsody
New Development Platform, Code Name “Yellow Box”, to Speed Creation of
Robust, Content-Rich, Cross-Platform Applications; Java Integrated
Throughout Next Generation System Software Product Line
WWDC, SAN JOSE, Calif.-May 13, 1997-At its annual Worldwide Developers
Conference (WWDC) Apple Computer, Inc. today outlined a radical software
development strategy for Rhapsody, the code name for its next generation
operating system. By utilizing the “Yellow Box” Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs), software developers will eventually be able to deploy
their applications on a wide range of operating systems including Rhapsody,
Mac OS, Rhapsody for Intel, Windows 95, and Windows NT. By making the
Yellow Box programming environment cross platform Apple believes it can
attract new software developers to the Rhapsody and Mac OS platforms and
expand the business opportunities for current Mac OS and OPENSTEP
developers.
Along with support for 100 percent Java, Apple also announced that the
programming interfaces for the Yellow Box will be exposed as Java language
calls. This will enable developers to write applications for the new
platform completely in Java thus extending the functional capabilities of
Java applications. Apple believes the Yellow Box will allow developers to
create best of breed applications, delivered across multiple platforms,
shortening development cycles and bringing the benefits of Java to
mainstream applications.
Avie Tevanian, senior vice president, Software Engineering, Apple Computer
Inc., said “What we have announced today is a compelling proposition for
software developers. As the Internet moves forward and increases the need
for heterogeneous networks, the Yellow Box is well positioned to be a
unifying force by including all major platforms in a robust, media rich
development platform. Developers can adopt the Yellow Box APIs in the
knowledge that their applications can be deployed on multiple platforms.”
Yellow Box Unifies Developer Proposition From Apple The Yellow Box is a
development platform for building robust, content-rich desktop,
Internet/intranet software applications. The Yellow Box will be a key
component in three future operating system releases from Apple: Rhapsody,
Mac OS, and Rhapsody for Intel.
The Yellow Box will also be hosted on a new Windows development and
deployment platform slated from Apple, code named Yellow Box for Windows.
This development and deployment platform will allow a Yellow Box
application to be a first class Windows citizen, with complete Windows look
and feel.
All Yellow Box-based products are an evolution of OPENSTEP-an operating
system independent, object oriented application platform. Integrating the
cross platform robustness of OPENSTEP technologies with Apple’s market
leading digital media and graphics technologies will differentiate the
Yellow Box from other development platforms. Apple also confirmed at WWDC
that The Yellow Box development environment will include the WebObjects
framework that provides an HTML interface to its objects, enabling
developers to easily create dynamic web-based applications.
Apple’s intention is to release a cross-platform suite of application
development tools for the Yellow Box . The “Prelude to Rhapsody” Program,
announced in April, provides early access and releases of some of the
tools. The initial suite of tools is expected to be introduced at the same
time as the developer release of Rhapsody and will continue to support
world-class object-oriented programming models. By integrating tools from
Apple, Metrowerks and others, software developers will be able to leverage
existing code and use programming languages such Java, C, C++, and
Objective C to create next generation applications. Because of the rich
collection of services and the dynamic nature of the Yellow Box,
programmers will enjoy new found increases in productivity.
Apple expects to integrate the Yellow Box into the following operating
system products:
Rhapsody
Rhapsody is the code name for Apple’s next generation operating system for
PowerPC and will be the primary development and deployment platform for
Yellow Box applications. It includes four components: Core OS, based on
Mach technology; Blue Box/Mac OS compatibility environment; the Yellow Box
development environment; and Advanced Macintosh User Interface. Apple
expects Rhapsody to provide customers with an environment that delivers
industrial-strength performance, stability and new classes of software for
computing into the next century, while preserving customer investment in
hardware and software. Customers in markets such as print publishing,
multimedia, Internet/intranet Web authoring, corporate application
development and higher education and engineering/scientific will quickly
benefit from the advantages of moving to the Rhapsody platform.
Mac OS
Apple intends to host the Yellow Box on a future version of the Mac OS,
code named Allegro. Allegro will be the follow on release from Mac OS 8,
scheduled for introduction in July 1997. Expected to be available in
mid-1998, Allegro will be based on current Mac OS underlying technology and
will include both the traditional Mac OS APIs as well as the capability of
hosting the Yellow Box.
Rhapsody for Intel
Rhapsody for Intel is the code name for Apple’s next generation operating
system for Intel-oricessor based personal computers. It includes three
components: Core OS based on Mach technology; Yellow Box development
environment; and Advanced Macintosh User Interface.
Timetable
Apple’s intention is to release all versions of the Yellow Box-based
products simultaneously with major releases of Rhapsody. This should ensure
that all Yellow Box products stay synchronized to help developers deploy
applications across multiple platforms.
Initial Developer Reaction
Favorable Initial developer reaction to Apple Computer’s unified
development strategy for next generation applications has been positive:
Lee Wilson, vice president of Marketing Chancery Software Ltd said, “We are
following Apple’s Rhapsody strategy closely and believe that they are
making the right decisions about the platform. The cross platform plans are
important to all developers and we are pleased to see that Apple is acting
on this in a significant way.”
Craig Isaacs, vice president of Sales & Marketing, Dantz Development
Corporation said, “Dantz is extremely pleased with Apple’s decision to
support the Yellow Box APIs under Mac OS as well as Rhapsody, Rhapsody for
Intel processors, and Windows. The decision provides a boost for the
already outstanding OPENSTEP development tools. In addition, it’s a huge
win for current Mac OS customers, since next generation versions of
products like our award-winning Retrospect software will be based on the
Yellow Box APIs.
“Apple has taken a major step to improve developer’s business proposition”,
said Greg Galanos, president and chief technology officer of Metrowerks.
“By bringing its ‘Yellow Box’ APIs to Rhapsody, Rhapsody for Intel, Mac OS,
and Windows, Apple is making it possible for developers to write once and
deploy on multiple operating systems in a single step. In conjunction with
Apple, Metrowerks will make these powerful APIs available to all
CodeWarrior customers for Rhapsody, Rhapsody for Intel, Mac OS, and Windows
targets.”
As part of the Rhapsody development effort, Apple worked with Stone Design
Corporation to test an early version of their Create software product on
PowerPC.
“We are delighted to announce that Create is running on Rhapsody on the
PowerPC architecture, ” said Andrew C. Stone, CEO and chief computer
scientist of Stone Design Corp (www.stone.com). “Once again, the engineers
at Apple have proven that the Yellow Box is the most stable and elegantly
designed development and deployment platform. Because Create is an
application created for the Yellow Box, I was able to port to Rhapsody
PowerPC in a matter of hours. Thanks to the Yellow Box, Create already runs
on other Operating Systems including Windows 95 and Windows NT. We are
shipping powerful, stable, cross-platform applications today.”
“We’re pleased to see Apple respond to the needs of its developers, and,
ultimately, to the needs of Mac users,” said John Noerenberg, director of
Technology of Qualcomm’s Eudora Division. “Bringing the Yellow Box onto
these platforms provides a more flexible migration path smoothing
everyone’s transition to Rhapsody,” added Alan Bird, Senior Engineer with
the Mac Eudora development team.
Press Contact: Russell Brady Apple Computer, Inc. (408) 974-6877 email:
brady2@apple.com
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