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