Los Altos, California compiler house Translation Systems Inc is proposing to build an ACE Distribution Format which it claims will enable Advanced Computing Environment software to be completely shrinkwrapped. Translation argues that, under ACE’s currently-proposed applications programming and applications binary interface scheme, software developers writing to ACE will be forced to do nine implementations to run on all ACE systems: three CPU architectures – R3000, R4000 and iAPX-86, and three operating systems – Windows NT, Unix System V.4 and Open Desktop. The technology, it says, which is conceptually similar to the Architecture-Neutral Distribution Format that is being built for the Open Software Foundation, would reduce those nine implementations to one. The company says that an application, compiled with a compiler front-end producing Translation’s ACE Distribution Format, will run on any ACE-compliant hardware. Translation says this reduces software developer implementation and support costs, produces more reliable code and increases the immediately available market, attractions to independent software vendors that, Translation claims, are taking a wait-and-see attitude to ACE. The company explained that once a program is reduced to its Distribution Format, it must undergo a translation that will reduce it to any executable image on the target system. This is accomplished via an installer program and has to be done only once. The installer program, comprising a storage allocator, object-code generator and emitter, must exist on the target system and might therefore be included as a standard part of the operating system, either NT, Unix or Open Desktop. Translation said there were no penalties to be paid, respecting compile-time or execution time. However, the size of the distribution format will be somewhat larger. Translation is proposing to build nine installers and is offering ACE vendors a royalty-free distribution licence for $90,000 if they sign up before the ACE meeting late in January. Translation has tried interesting companies such as Microsoft Corp, Compaq Computer Corp and Digital Equipment Corp in its Distribution Format and has faxed information to some 40 or 50 other ACE members since Comdex in October, without any response. Microsoft seemed particularly hostile to the notion, according to president Tom Linden. Even without their support, however, the company intends to pursue the venture and may then include an installer that will also work for Sparc. It said it should be able to demonstrate the iAPX-86 version by March and the MIPS Computer Systems Inc version by the middle of next year.
