Reply-To: tchannon@black.demon.co.uk
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Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 00:03:59 +0000

I received the promised upgrade offer from Clarion TopSpeed on the 21st Dec. 
The mailshot was targetted at UK registered users, European and other area can 
expect full details at some later time.

Here are some abstracts, this was typed in fast so typos and errors are mine. 
Abstract content is my personal selection and I am in no way connected with 
Clarion or necessarily agree with the abstract.

[Covering letter dated:]
"16 December 1992"

..

"Many TopSpeed users have been apprehensive about the merger and what will mean 
for the future of their valued products. Both the TopSpeed development team 
and the TopSpeed technical support staff have grown since the merger. We are 
now in the process of expanding our customer support services to include 
on-line Clarion Software support forum for Clarion and TopSpeed users through 
the CompuServe(r) Information Network."

..
[new, quarterly tech support publication is mentioned]
..
"I can tell you that the TopSpeed team is now busy working on 32-bit 
compilers, a Windows version and extending the C++ compiler to include 
templates and exception handling."
..


[I considered summarising the following single A4 side but decided to simply 
copy it.]

"  TopSpeed 3.1 New Features and Enhancements
  
TopSpeed 3.1 is now available and offer a number of significant enhancements 
and advatages to TopSpeed users in additon to correcting problems in the 3.02 
release. Major new features include:

- DOS Extender Source Code Availability
- Significantly enhanced Overlay Manager
- Improved support for Windows programming
- Additional manual
- Faster compilers

Source code to the Topspeed DOS Extender is now available. The TopSpeed DOS 
Extender sourcekit includes the full source to the DOS extender and will be of 
interest to the programmers requiring a better understanding of the operation 
of protected mode programs or who need to modify the default behaviour of the  
Extender (for example installing support for new interrupts). The TopSpeed DOS 
extender is implemented largely in TopSpeed Modula-2 though low-level routines 
are implemented in assembler for flexibility.

The Overlay Manager has been significantly enhanced for TopSpeed 3.1, and 
implements several new features including:
 - Caller code swapping, which allows a calling procedure's code segment to be 
 swapped out to virtual memory, increasing the amount available to called 
 procedures.
 - The loader uses improved statistical methods to reduce redundant overlay 
 swapping and also orders segments in memory to minimise fragmentation.
 - The library now uses smaller code segments that no longer need to be fixed 
 in memory improving the operating characteristics.
 - Expanded API providing access to high-performance virtual memory functions.
 
The effect of these enhancements is to greatly increase the size limits for 
overlaid  or dynamically linked programs whilst improving overall efficiency.

Support for Windows programming has been improved. The TopSpeed Windows 
compatible run-time libraries utilise only a subset of the floating point 
funtionality correctly supported by the Microsoft Windows Emulator greatly 
improving the reliability of heavily numerical programs under Windows. 
Interface libraries for Windows 3.1 are supplied, and in addition, the 
WIN87EM.LIB files supplied with the SDK is no longer necessary.

A new manual is provided which is intended to aid users in getting the most 
out of the TopSpeed Compiler range. Coverage of all the new features and 
enhancements is proviede as well as sections on:
- Coverting make files to TopSpeed Project files
- Making the most of the SmartMethod(tm) Linking.
- Setting up the TopSpeed Environment.
- Optimizing your system for use with the TopSpeed DOS Extender.
- Commonly asked questions and answers

Additional enhancements to the TopSpeed System include new C++ warnings, 
additional linker options, and improvements to the run-time libraries."

..

[mention is made of increased dynamic pool and other limits, particularly if 
the compiler is operating in extender mode, my understanding is that this 
applies if compiling DOS real mode programs]

[Clarion Software (Europe) Ltd can be contacted on the following UK numbers 
(country code prefix 44)
Tel: 234 267 500
Fax: 234 217094
]

  TC. 
    E-mail: tchannon@black.demon.co.uk or tchannon@cix.compulink.co.uk