MCL 3.0 Update 4/1

[hsayed@digitool.com (Hazem Sayed)]

As part of its continued commitment to MCL as both a development and a
delivery environment, Digitool will introduce mechanisms for reducing the
size of deliverable MCL applications and for optionally including the MCL
compiler in such applications.

Digitool is pleased to share with the MCL community preliminary information
about these delivery mechanisms, the call for which has come recently from
all reaches of the community.  We hope that this information will help MCL
users plan their upgrade strategy to MCL 3.0.


Along with MCL 3.0, Digitool will introduce in May 1995 a redistribution
kit for MCL applications and a redistribution kit for the MCL compiler.


MCL 3.0:
This will ship as an application that includes all the components currently
in MCL 2.0.1, such as the compiler, FRED, inspector, and debugging tools.
However, MCL 3.0 will only create applications designated as "Lisp
Development Systems."  A Lisp Development System may NOT be distributed or
sold other than as part of the distribution or sale of MCL itself (e.g.
distribution within an MCL site-licensed institution or via the inclusion
of a full MCL license with each Lisp Development System sold).


MCL 3.0 REDISTRIBUTION KIT:
This will include both a utility, called MCL-ALICE, for creating MCL
Distributable Applications with a reduced footprint, and a license to
distribute an unlimited number of such applications ROYALTY-FREE.  MCL
Distributable Applications created with MCL-ALICE will be nominally
500-800K smaller than their Lisp Development System counterparts.

A MCL Distributable Application will not include the debugging tools
(trace, step, backtrace, etc.), development tools (apropos, edit-anything
dialog, etc.), Listener, and compiler, hence the lower nominal savings.  A
MCL Distributable Application can also optionally not include Eval, macros,
and some other modules, hence the greater possible savings.

The MCL 3.0 Redistribution Kit with its license will replace the $100 per
year MCL 2.x Object Code Redistribution License - currently available from
Apple Software Licensing - with an "EZ" one-time shrink-wrap redistribution
license.


MCL COMPILER REDISTRIBUTION KIT:
This will include both the MCL compiler as a fasl file, and a license to
incorporate it in an unlimited number of MCL Distributable Applications
ROYALTY-FREE.  The MCL Compiler Redistribution Kit, will be needed only
when shipping applications that call the MCL compiler at runtime.  Good
candidate applications for such use of the MCL compiler include scriptable
CAD packages and new programming languages.

The MCL Compiler Redistribution Kit will not be needed for creating Lisp
Development Systems, as the MCL compiler will continue to be included in
the MCL 3.0 product.


No pricing is announced as yet for the MCL 3.0 Redistribution Kit and the
MCL Compiler Redistribution Kit.



Thank you to all the MCL users who participated in the impromptu discussion
about application size and delivery issues over the past three weeks.
Though Digitool has been working on the Redistribution Kits since January,
the recent and timely debate has helped us clarify some priorities.  Thank
you again, but please don't expect a three-week turnaround on every
user-requested feature!!!


Sincerely,


Hazem Sayed

Digitool, Inc.
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