Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site tekig4.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!tekig5!tekig4!bradn From: bradn@tekig4.UUCP (Bradford Needham) Newsgroups: net.micro.mac Subject: Does anyone have MacDraw file format documentation? Message-ID: <135@tekig4.UUCP> Date: Fri, 14-Jun-85 16:36:06 EDT Article-I.D.: tekig4.135 Posted: Fri Jun 14 16:36:06 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 06:13:59 EDT References: <781@oddjob.UUCP> <1064@peora.UUCP> Reply-To: bradn@tekig4rd Needham.UUCP (Bradford Needham) Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 22 Keywords: formats macdraw macwrite Summary: Apple needs to provide descriptions of their file formats. The main problem of writing a MacDraw -> Pic converter is the lack of documentation of the MacDraw file format. Has anybody seen a description of a MacDraw file? I had hoped that "Inside Mac" would describe the formats of data files for all of the Apple programs, but instead it only describes MacPaint format. Does Apple's idea of a "closed system" mean that their file formats will not be available even to developers? Apple should realize that releasing their file formats will help their sales in several ways: People will write programs to convert their own data into, say, MacDraw format, causing more MacDraw sales; others will write programs that process or create MacDraw or MacWrite files, making the Mac more useful and competitive. Look at the number of add-on image digitizers that create MacPaint files -- how many of those products would not exist if Apple hadn't described the MacPaint format? Brad Needham ...tektronix!tekig4!bradn