ORCA/Modula-2 press release
Byte Works, Inc.
Copyright (c) 1994 Apple Users' Group, Sydney
Republished from Applecations, a publication of the Apple Users' Group, Sydney, Australia.
We'd like to welcome you to the world of ORCA/Modula-2, the latest programming language for the Apple IIgs.
What is Modula-2? It's the successor to Pascal. Niklaus Wirth designed Pascal to teach programming concepts. When he designed Modula-2, Niklaus Wirth wanted a language with the famous safety of Pascal, but with the flexibility of C.
Is Modula-2 hard to learn? No. If you know Pascal, you practically know Modula-2 already! Mike Westerfield says, "I wasn't sure I wanted to learn a new language, either. With Modula-2, though, I started writing programs the first night, and felt comfortable with the language after just a few hours."
So what makes Modula-2 so different? There are three things that make Modula-2 different, and one of them is a capability you can't get from any other Apple IIGS compiler!
ORCA/Modula-2 is the only Apple IIGS compiler that supports concurrent programming. With concurrent programming, you can literally write a program that does two (or more!) things at once. It works like multitasking, where both tasks share the computer, so the user sees a program that does more than one thing at a time. You don't need a special multitasking operating system; this works right from Apple's Finder. You don't need a Ph.D. in Computer Science to understand it, either; concurrent programming is almost as easy as just writing a new procedure.
ORCA/Modula-2 is the only Apple IIGS language that was designed to support safe modular programming from the beginning. Modules aren't an extension, like units in Pascal. Since Modula-2 was designed by Niklaus Wirth, you ought to expect that Modula-2 modules are designed for safety, too. You're right. Modula-2 has unprecedented safety features that catch programming mistakes across modules that would crash a C program.
Modula-2 was designed for systems programming. It's not an ivory tower language that was so good it was used in the real world, like Pascal. Like C, one of the first projects for Modula-2 was to write an operating system and compiler. In fact, ORCA/Modula-2 is written in Modula-2, and compiles itself!
What will you get with ORCA/Modula-2? You'll get everything you've come to expect from the Byte Works and ORCA languages: a great compiler, code generator and top-notch environment. ORCA/Modula-2 fits right in with the other ORCA languages, too, so you can use the same tools you use now; even ORCA compatible tools from other companies. Of course
you can combine Modula-2 with the other ORCA languages. And don't forget our customer support. When you have questions or problems, we're always available.
It sounds good, but right now... We thought you'd say that. We just thought we'd mention that if you purchase ORCA/Modula-2 before the cutoff date on your order form we'll send it to you at half of the list price! It's a great way to get the language Niklaus Wirth designed to replace Pascal and compete with C, and to support the Apple IIGS.
Sincerely,
Patty Westerfield
Byte Works, Inc., 4700 Irving Blvd. NW, Suite 207, Albuquerque, NM, 87114, (505) 898-8183
ByteWorks@GEnie.GEIS.com
[Sub-editor's note: ORCA/Modula-2 was written by Australian, Peter Easdowne. The price on my order form is $75 and the cutoff date is 30th of April 1994. Contact me if you'd like a copy faxed to you.]

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