Frequently asked questions about CodeBench

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• I've downloaded and tried the Free version for C and am very interested in the full version. When will it be available to buy?
  Currently, the only people with access to the "full" version are the people testing it internally. Just when we feel we are getting nearer to a "V1.0", we go and add more features that require testing. Rest assured that when it is available to buy as a retail product, we will make sure to announce it at the time.
  
  
• There is no mention of a final price for the retail version. How much will it be?
  Pricing, just like the availability, has not yet been determined. Realistically we know there will be no way to cover the costs of development, but we will aim to make it affordable. As much as we would love to give it away for free, a product of this complexity must be a commercial venture in order to drive future development.
  
  
• What other languages are planned to be supported? And will these be included in the retail version?
  We do plan on supporting many of the "lesser" languages the Amiga is capable of using, like Arexx and Python. Whether these will be included as part of the retail package is another matter, and one which will depend on just how much work goes in to those modules. We envisage the retail version being the main program and its library, and one main plugin of choice (be that the AmigaOS4SDK, Hollywood4 or perhaps the Website plugin). It's highly possible that other "smaller" project types like those mentioned above could be included in the main package so that everyone gets to use them.
  
  
• Looking through the documentation, it seems like it is aimed at "experts". I want to learn ANSI C and start programming on the Amiga, will it be of any use to me?
  Absolutely. In fact, as a beginner, you may benefit from certain functions and features more than experienced AmigaOS programmers. In particular is the "Help-As-You-Type" system, which is linked into the dictionary and allows easy viewing of the correct section of the AutoDoc for system library functions. This can greatly ease the learning curve of the AmigaOS APIs.
  
  
• So what else do I need to start programming AmigaOS 4 apart from CodeBench?
  Well, if you plan to program using C or C++, you will need the AmigaOS4 SDK. This is available from the Hyperion website here. Once you have downloaded that, you will need to install it. This is very simple, and should be done via the supplied Installer utility. When you now run CodeBench, the AmigaOS4SDK project type will automatically recognise the SDK has been installed, and automate most stuff for you.
  Alternatively, if you are going to program in Hollywood4, then that should also be installed on your system prior to using CodeBench with that project type. More information regarding Hollywood, and what it is capable of, is available here.
  More information on what is required or useful is listed in the Resources section below.
  
  
  

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Useful Resources:

If you are planning to start programming in C or C++ (or perhaps you are a seasoned programmer looking for useful tools), here follows a list of some utilities that we recommend to make life easier for you.

• Advanced Visual Developer
  The "AVD" suite is a collection of tools which is currently under development, but features an extremely functional browser for the AutoDocs and includes which make up the AmigaOS4 SDK. Work on this suite has also been recently restarted.
  More information available at bitbybitsoftwaregroup.com
  
  
• AutoDoc Viewer
  If you do not want to use CodeBench's own, then this utility is a very capable viewer for AutoDocs and offers some very handy features.
  More information available at os4depot.net
  
  
• Examples
  Apart from the examples that are included in the SDK (which can be found at SDK:Examples), there are also quite a few example sources available on os4depot.net.
  
  There is also the excellent Amiga C Manual which covers in detail many AmigaOS specific topics. It is available from aminet.net
  
  Material from many of the developer conferences and from the " ROM Kernel Manuals" is just some of the content on the Amiga Developer CD 2.1 which is an invaluable resource for any budding AmigaOS developer. Although it has not been updated in quite a while, the many examples and vast information contained within it is still highly applicable today. It is all neatly organised as AmigaGuide™ files for easy searching and browsing. This essential product is available from AmigaKit.
  
  
• GUIBuilders
  Creating user interfaces by hand is a time consuming hobby, so to make it easier, there are a number of designers that may be used. You may view and download the ones listed at os4depot.net.
  
  
• MemGuard
  This debugging utility helps to track down incorrect memory deallocations and notifies you if a write operation has extended the bounds of a specific allocation. Documentation is included inside the archive.
  More information available at os4depot.net
  
  
• Sashimi
  Getting output while your program is running can sometimes be very helpful, and this utility will redirect any output from the serial port during debugging to a console window on your Workbench.
  More information available at os4depot.net
  
  
• Web Resources
  Apart from the many third party programs available on both os4depot and Aminet, there are also forums that can be used by developers to ask for help and information. Amongst these are amigans.net, amigaworld.net and most recently os4coding.net. We also have a dedicated support forum which is available by signing in with your "Community" login.
  
  Just remember, we all started at the beginning, so do not be afraid to ask. Most developers enjoy helping out newcomers and sharing tips and techniques to programming AmigaOS.
  
  

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