Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

OpenStep

OpenStep is an object-oriented application programming interface () specification for developing portable software applications, primarily targeted at UNIX-based operating systems, and was jointly developed by , Inc. and , Inc. as a standard derived from NeXT's proprietary system. The specification was first announced in November 1993 as part of a between the two companies, in which Sun made an equity investment in NeXT and gained rights to adapt for its SPARC-based workstations running , while NeXT published OpenStep to promote interoperability and broader adoption of its object-oriented framework. A draft version emerged in the summer of 1994, followed by the official publication of the OpenStep by NeXT on October 19, 1994, defining a set of frameworks including the Foundation Kit for core data structures, utilities, and non-graphical services, and the Application Kit for user interface elements and event handling. The collaboration aimed to create a vendor-neutral standard that decoupled application logic from underlying hardware and operating systems, enabling developers to write code once and deploy it across multiple platforms with minimal modifications, which was a significant advancement in object-oriented programming at the time. Key additional components in the specification included tools like Interface Builder for visual design of user interfaces and the Workspace Manager for desktop environment integration, emphasizing modularity and extensibility through Objective-C as the primary language. NeXT released commercial implementations under the name OPENSTEP, supporting platforms such as its own hardware, Solaris, and Windows NT, while open-source efforts like GNUstep emerged to provide a free, GNU-licensed alternative that faithfully adhered to the OpenStep APIs. OpenStep's legacy profoundly shaped modern software development, particularly through its acquisition by Apple Inc. following the 1997 purchase of NeXT, where it formed the foundation for the Cocoa application framework in macOS (formerly OS X), integrating OpenStep's APIs with Apple's technologies and Java to deliver a robust, object-oriented environment for desktop and mobile applications. This influence extended to elements like OS X's file system, executable formats, and high-level APIs, blending UNIX foundations with advanced object-oriented capabilities that continue to power iOS and macOS development today.

History

Origins in NeXTSTEP

NeXT Computer, Inc. was founded in 1985 by , along with a team of engineers from Apple's Macintosh and development groups, following Jobs's resignation from Apple after a boardroom dispute that ousted him as chairman. The company aimed to develop advanced workstations targeted at and scientific research markets, emphasizing integrated and software designed for high and ease of use in environments. These workstations were envisioned as powerful tools for academic and research applications, leveraging object-oriented principles to streamline development and user interaction. The first version of NeXTSTEP, version 0.8, was released in 1988 alongside the debut of NeXT's hardware, marking the introduction of an built on the microkernel and BSD Unix subsystems. This foundation provided robust multitasking and Unix compatibility while prioritizing developer accessibility through as the primary programming language, which extended C with Smalltalk-inspired object-oriented features. NeXTSTEP 0.8 included , a pioneering tool that allowed developers to visually design user interfaces by dragging and connecting graphical elements, significantly boosting productivity by reducing the need for manual coding of UI components. Key innovations in NeXTSTEP centered on a unified object model that treated applications, operating system services, and user interfaces as interconnected objects, enabling seamless integration and reuse across the system. For graphics, it incorporated , an extension of Adobe's language adapted for real-time screen rendering, which ensured consistent imaging between display and print output while supporting complex vector-based visuals. Additionally, the Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF) provided a high-level abstraction for database integration, allowing developers to map relational data directly to objects without writing extensive SQL code, thus simplifying enterprise application development. NeXTSTEP evolved rapidly, with version 1.0 released in September 1989, introducing enhanced stability and broader application support on NeXT's 68000-based hardware. Subsequent releases, including versions 2.0 in 1990 and 3.x from 1992 to 1995, expanded hardware compatibility to include x86 processors starting with version 3.1 in 1993, allowing to run on commodity alongside proprietary NeXT machines. Throughout this period, the system maintained a strong emphasis on developer productivity, with and the unified object model enabling rapid prototyping and deployment of sophisticated applications, even as NeXT shifted focus toward software-only solutions by the mid-1990s.

Collaboration with Sun Microsystems

In 1993, Sun Microsystems formed a strategic alliance with NeXT Computer, investing $10 million in the company to facilitate the porting of NeXTSTEP to Sun's Solaris operating system running on SPARC hardware. This partnership aimed to position the advanced object-oriented environment of NeXTSTEP as a competitive alternative to Microsoft Windows NT in the enterprise software market, leveraging Sun's workstation dominance to expand NeXT's reach beyond its proprietary hardware. Following the announcement, NeXT and Sun established a collaborative effort to develop a common application programming interface () specification, shifting focus from tying the interface to NeXT's operating system toward a more universal standard. This joint initiative sought to create an open object layer derived from , enabling developers to build portable applications across diverse platforms without dependency on specific underlying systems. A key challenge in this collaboration involved reconciling NeXTSTEP's reliance on the microkernel with Sun's , which used a different Unix-based , ultimately leading to a that abstracted the from any particular for broader portability. By decoupling the and application frameworks from the operating system , the partners addressed compatibility issues inherent in their respective environments. This effort culminated in the first draft of the specification, published by NeXT in the summer of 1994, which emphasized cross-platform portability over systems and laid the groundwork for industry-wide adoption.

Release and Standardization

The specification was released on October 19, 1994, by , Inc. and SunSoft, Inc., as a non-proprietary standard stemming from their 1993 collaboration to port technologies to multiple platforms. This public release of the final specification followed an initial draft in summer 1994 and positioned as an for object-oriented application development independent of specific operating systems. The specification outlined APIs for key components, including the graphical user interface through the Application Kit, distributed objects via Portable Distributed Objects (PDO) for , and enterprise-level features such as and networking in the Foundation Kit. It targeted portability across architectures like (Intel), (HP), and (Sun), enabling developers to build applications that could run on diverse hardware without proprietary lock-in. Licensing terms made the specification freely available for and study, while implementations required a license from NeXT to ensure compliance; the "OpenStep" was reserved for certified products to promote consistent adoption by third parties. This approach encouraged broad industry participation by avoiding royalties on the itself, fostering an ecosystem around the standard. By 1995, OpenStep was recognized by major companies, including , as one of the leading object-oriented technologies. This support underscored OpenStep's role in advancing enterprise object-oriented computing beyond proprietary frameworks.

Technical Description

Core Frameworks and Components

The OpenStep specification defines a set of core frameworks and components that form the foundation for object-oriented application development, emphasizing portability across operating systems. These include the Foundation Kit for base-level , the Application Kit for graphical user interfaces, and the system for rendering. Together, they enable developers to build robust, interactive applications using , with a clear separation between non-graphical logic and user-facing elements. The Foundation Kit serves as the base framework for non-graphical objects, providing essential classes and services for handling data structures, , and operations in . It includes collections like NSArray for ordered arrays of objects and NSDictionary for key-value storage, which support efficient data manipulation without tying to any specific . Additionally, it offers handling through classes such as NSString for Unicode-aware text and services for dynamic object and messaging, ensuring applications can manage resources portably across platforms. This abstracts low-level operating system interactions, allowing focus on application logic. The Application Kit builds upon the Foundation Kit to provide a comprehensive GUI framework, defining classes for windows, views, controls, event handling, and menus. Central classes include NSWindow for managing resizable, titled windows with backing stores; NSView as the abstract base for hierarchical drawing and event response in custom views; and NSButton for standard interactive controls like push buttons. Event handling is managed through the responder chain, where objects respond to user inputs such as mouse clicks or key presses, while menu systems use NSMenu and related classes to create dynamic, context-sensitive interfaces. These components enable rapid development of responsive, platform-independent user experiences. Display PostScript acts as the graphics subsystem, leveraging language for device-independent 2D rendering of text, images, and . It integrates with the Window Server, a separate process that handles screen updates and , allowing for hardware-accelerated rendering where available while maintaining consistency across printers and displays. Developers interact with it through high-level APIs in the Application Kit, which translate drawing commands into PostScript operators sent to the server, ensuring smooth animations and high-fidelity output without direct hardware dependencies. The frameworks integrate seamlessly via the Objective-C message-passing system, where objects communicate by sending dynamically dispatched messages, promoting loose coupling and extensibility. All OpenStep-compliant classes use the "NS" prefix—such as NSObject as the root class—to denote their adherence to the specification and avoid naming conflicts in mixed-language environments. This model allows Foundation objects to underpin Application Kit interfaces, with Display PostScript handling the visual layer, creating a unified architecture for building scalable applications.

Key APIs and Features

OpenStep introduced several advanced APIs and features that emphasized portability, , and efficient development, building upon the foundational elements of the Foundation Kit for in . Portable Distributed Objects (PDO) provided a lightweight for transparent remote method invocation, allowing objects to communicate across networks and heterogeneous platforms without the overhead of full CORBA implementations. Developers could invoke methods on remote objects as if they were local, using objects to handle the ; for instance, an NXProxy instance acted as a local surrogate for a remote object, forwarding messages seamlessly while supporting argument passing for ids, structures, pointers, and strings. This enabled scalable client-server applications, such as deploying business objects on Solaris or servers that interacted transparently with clients on different systems. PDO extended NextStep's Distributed Objects to non-NeXT environments, facilitating cross-platform deployment and dynamic messaging where clients could access new objects without recompilation. The Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF) offered an object-relational mapping system for integrating relational databases with object-oriented applications, abstracting SQL complexities through persistent enterprise objects. Key classes included EOObject, the base class for enterprise objects that encapsulated data and while inheriting from NSObject, and EOModel, which defined mappings between database schemas and object models using entity-relationship terminology to handle attributes, relationships, and optimizations. EOF supported features like via faulting, uniquing to ensure one object per database row per context, snapshotting for change tracking, and validation methods such as validateForSave and validateValueForKey to maintain . It enabled efficient querying and persistence, for example, by automatically generating primary keys through delegates or stored procedures, and facilitated three-tier architectures where objects could reside on servers while clients manipulated them locally. Although evolved in later versions, EOF's core design in OpenStep targeted databases like and Sybase, promoting reusable in distributed environments. Developer tools in OpenStep streamlined application creation, with enabling visual design of user interfaces by dragging objects from palettes, archiving them as . files, and connecting outlets and actions for event handling. For example, developers could subclass components like NSTableView for database integration or create custom inspectors, fostering without extensive coding. Project Builder managed project workspaces, providing code editing with features like , name completion, and integration with debuggers, while ProjectManager organized resources and builds across platforms. These tools, integral to the OpenStep environment, supported seamless iteration from design to deployment. Portability was enhanced through abstracted kernel services, allowing applications to run unchanged across operating systems like , , and ; the NSProcessInfo class, for instance, provided access to arguments, variables, names, and system details, enabling developers to query the runtime without platform-specific code. This abstraction supported deployment on diverse hardware, from PCs to Sun stations, by insulating applications from underlying differences. OpenStep included built-in support for multi-threading via the NSThread class, which managed concurrent execution by creating, detaching, and controlling threads, often in conjunction with NSRunLoop for event handling and NSTimer for scheduled notifications. Basic access controls were integrated through classes, offering mechanisms like key-value validation and secure object , though advanced relied on underlying OS features. These capabilities allowed for responsive, concurrent applications while maintaining simplicity in distributed scenarios.

Implementations

NeXT's OPENSTEP for Mach

NeXT's OPENSTEP for Mach represented the company's core commercial product implementing the OpenStep specification atop the Mach kernel combined with BSD components. Version 4.0, released in July 1996, functioned as a complete operating system that adhered to the OpenStep API while extending it with proprietary NeXT development tools, such as Interface Builder and Project Builder. This release supported Intel x86 processors on PCs, Sun SPARC workstations, and Motorola 68k-based NeXT hardware, enabling developers to target multiple architectures from a unified environment. Priced at $399 for the developer edition, it facilitated rapid application development for enterprise and desktop use. Version 4.1, issued in December 1996, emphasized enhancements in system stability and deeper integration with , NeXT's framework for building scalable web applications. These updates addressed reliability issues from the initial release and streamlined deployment of server-side applications, making it more suitable for production environments. The culminating release, version 4.2 in January 1997, marked the last major update prior to Apple's acquisition of NeXT and introduced native support alongside improved networking features, such as enhanced / stack performance and distributed object capabilities via Portable Distributed Objects (PDO). It maintained compatibility with the same hardware platforms as prior versions, including NeXT stations, PCs, and Sun systems. Despite its cross-platform ambitions, OPENSTEP for Mach remained inherently bound to the Mach microkernel and BSD-derived subsystems, constraining full portability to non-Unix operating systems without significant reimplementation.

Sun's Solaris OpenStep and Enterprise

Sun Microsystems developed Solaris OpenStep as an implementation of the OpenStep specification tailored for its Solaris operating system, targeting SPARC-based hardware. The beta release was made available on July 22, 1996, with the full version becoming freely downloadable for non-commercial use in August 1996 and commercially available in September 1996. This implementation integrated OpenStep's object-oriented frameworks with Solaris 2.5.1, an SVR4 UNIX derivative, by replacing Mach-specific components with Solaris kernel abstractions such as mmap(2) for virtual memory management. Key features of Solaris OpenStep included the Workshop OpenStep development tools, which provided graphical interfaces like Project Builder and for constructing applications using pre-built components. It emphasized bridging enterprise development in and C++, leveraging Objective-C++ via the SPARCworks compiler to combine C++ syntax with for cross-language . The environment coexisted with existing Solaris applications, including those using the (CDE), , and , allowing seamless cut-and-paste operations and printer sharing between OpenStep and native Solaris/X components. In 1997, Sun extended its OpenStep efforts with OPENSTEP Enterprise, a commercial product released for Windows NT 4.0 on x86 hardware, Solaris, and HP-UX, ported from the Mach-based OPENSTEP 4.1 release in early 1997. This version focused on cross-platform database applications, incorporating the Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF) for integrating business logic with persistent data storage across Solaris, HP-UX, and NT environments. It supported Portable Distributed Objects (PDO) for communication between distributed Solaris, HP-UX, and NT systems, enabling object-oriented interactions over networks without proprietary middleware. Solaris OpenStep and OPENSTEP Enterprise targeted enterprise users of Solaris, particularly in finance and telecommunications sectors where robust server environments were prevalent. However, adoption remained low due to competition from emerging Java technologies and the December 1996 acquisition of NeXT by Apple, which shifted development priorities. Sun quietly discontinued both products in September 1997, integrating select OpenStep concepts like CORBA support into Solaris and Java Enterprise Beans instead.

Other Commercial Implementations

In addition to the primary implementations by NeXT and , several other companies pursued commercial adaptations of the OpenStep specification, though most remained limited in scope or were short-lived. initiated a partial implementation of OpenStep for its AIX operating system in 1995, leveraging prior experience with ports to the RS/6000 platform, but the effort was ultimately abandoned as shifted strategic focus toward technologies for cross-platform development. Persistence Software developed specialized OpenStep-compatible tools for , releasing integrations with their object-relational database system in 1995; these tools enabled seamless mapping of OpenStep objects to relational data stores, particularly in Sun's environment, facilitating enterprise-level persistence in distributed applications. Efforts to port OpenStep to other Unix variants, such as ' , advanced to stages but failed to reach owing to technical complexities in kernel integration and the rapid market pivot toward Java-based solutions. Overall, adoption of OpenStep beyond NeXT and Sun platforms remained low, with most third-party commercial pursuits concluding by 1998 following Apple's acquisition of NeXT, which redirected resources toward evolving the technology into macOS foundations.

Legacy and Influence

Evolution in Apple's Ecosystems

Following the 1997 acquisition of NeXT by Apple, emerged as an interim operating system directly based on OPENSTEP for , serving as a bridge between NeXT's technology and Apple's existing Macintosh ecosystem. Developer releases of began in late 1997, providing early access to the OPENSTEP-derived for developers to port applications and . In 1999, Apple commercialized as , which included the —a layer enabling with 8 applications during the transition period. The evolution continued with , Apple's open-source foundation released in 2000, which built upon the microkernel while incorporating BSD components to form the hybrid kernel at the core of future systems. This culminated in () in March 2001, where frameworks supplanted direct OPENSTEP APIs but preserved key elements like the Foundation Kit for core object behavior and data services, and AppKit for and event handling. Subsequent releases, starting with (Puma) in 2001, focused on refining through performance optimizations, enhanced stability, and expanded tools, gradually solidifying it as the primary environment for Macintosh applications. In 2016, Apple renamed the operating system to macOS with version 10.12 (), aligning it nomenclature-wise with and other platforms while maintaining the underlying architecture and OpenStep-influenced . iOS, introduced in 2007, derived directly from macOS and retained the Foundation Kit as its foundational layer for essential services like data management and networking. For its user interface, iOS adopted UIKit, an evolution of AppKit tailored for touch-based interactions on mobile devices such as the iPhone and later iPad, ensuring conceptual continuity in object-oriented app development. iPadOS, forked from iOS in 2019, further extended this lineage while preserving UIKit and Foundation compatibility. As of 2025, the runtime remains integral to Apple's developer tools across macOS and ecosystems, enabling dynamic language features and seamless interoperability with through bridged APIs and shared frameworks. OpenStep's , such as model-view-controller, continue to underpin and , influencing modern app architecture and ensuring legacy code integration in tools like .

Open Source Implementations and Modern Use

GNUstep serves as the leading open-source implementation of the OpenStep specification, developed to provide a free and portable alternative to proprietary frameworks. Initiated in the mid-1990s by a team including Paul Kunz at SLAC and later adopted under the GNU Project, it aims to facilitate application porting and promote OpenStep as a standard API for object-oriented development. The project achieved its first versioned public release, GNUstep 0.5.0, on March 16, 1998, marking the availability of initial libraries compliant with the OpenStep standard. GNUstep implements key OpenStep components, including the Foundation library (via the GNUstep Base library for core utilities and data handling), AppKit (through the GUI library for user interface elements and the Backend for display integration), and the Enterprise Objects Framework (EOF) for database interactions. These are licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and (LGPL), enabling both proprietary and free software derivatives. Additional features include the library for foundational classes, and , a higher-level that simplifies creation and application building using declarative XML-like syntax. As of 2025, supports multiple platforms, including Linux distributions, Windows, and macOS, with ongoing enhancements for cross-platform compatibility. In modern contexts, GNUstep powers the , which provides seamless integration for applications through its NeXTSTEP-inspired design and theme support. It underpins various projects, such as educational tools like interactive learning applications. The ecosystem remains active, with the 1.31.1 release of the Base library on February 28, 2025. Other notable projects include StepTalk, a scripting framework launched in the early that enables language-independent automation for applications using Smalltalk as the default language. The Étoilé desktop environment, developed from the mid-2000s through the 2010s, leverages for a modular, document-oriented with components like file managers and text editors. Partial integrations appear in distributions, such as early experiments that packaged libraries for optional installation and testing in desktop environments. By fulfilling OpenStep's emphasis on portability, GNUstep allows developers to build and deploy applications across non-Apple platforms without incurring licensing fees, contrasting with proprietary successors like Apple's Cocoa.

References

  1. [1]
    OpenStep Specification - GNUstep
    OpenStep Specification (October 19, 1994). This is the html version of the OpenStep Specification. For the PDF version, see the GNUstep resources section.Missing: history | Show results with:history
  2. [2]
    GNU & OpenStep - GNUstep.org
    This agreement evolved into the OpenStep specification which was published by NeXT in a first draft back in summer 1994.
  3. [3]
    Sun Microsystems forms alliance with Next - UPI Archives
    Nov 23, 1993 · Sun Microsystems Inc. announced Tuesday it has formed an alliance with a former rival, Steven Jobs' Next Computer Inc., and will make an ...Missing: history collaboration
  4. [4]
    Glossary - Apple Developer
    Aug 8, 2013 · Cocoa is a set of frameworks with programming interfaces in ... It is based on the integration of OPENSTEP, Apple technologies, and Java.Missing: influence | Show results with:influence
  5. [5]
    Overview of OS X - Apple Developer
    Jun 11, 2012 · Benefits of Cocoa Development ... In figuring out what makes OS X tick, it is important to recognize the influences of NEXTSTEP and OPENSTEP in ...
  6. [6]
    NeXT: Steve Jobs' dot com IPO that Never Happened - CHM
    Feb 7, 2017 · Steve Jobs and veterans of the Macintosh and Lisa teams founded NeXT in 1985 after Jobs resigned from Apple, ousted as chairman by a boardroom ...
  7. [7]
    Steve Jobs: From Garage to World's Most Valuable Company - CHM
    Dec 2, 2011 · His new company, NeXT, set out to build high-performance UNIX workstations for the educational and scientific market.
  8. [8]
    The Deep History of Your Apps: Steve Jobs, NeXTSTEP, and Early ...
    Mar 15, 2016 · NeXT was founded by Steve Jobs upon resigning from Apple after he had been stripped of power following an attempted boardroom coup. Both ...
  9. [9]
    Sun Microsystems Invests in Rival - The New York Times
    Nov 23, 1993 · As part of the agreement between the two companies, Next will develop a version of its Nextstep operating system to run on Sun Microsystem's ...Missing: collaboration | Show results with:collaboration
  10. [10]
    TECHNOLOGY - Nov. 23, 1993 - Los Angeles Times
    Nov 23, 1993 · The New York Times reported that Sun, based in Mountain View, Calif., will invest $10 million for 1.5% of Next's stock and access to its ...
  11. [11]
    [PDF] NeXT SOFTWARE COMPLETES TRANSITION FROM NEXTSTEP ...
    In November 1993, NeXT committed to "open" NEXTSTEP and publish OPENSTEP in conjunction with Sun Microsystems. OPENSTEP is an API to an object layer based on ...Missing: joint 1994
  12. [12]
    OpenStep - ArchiveOS
    Dec 13, 2019 · NeXT Computer Inc, and Sun Microsystems Inc. teamed up in late 1993 to push a free object layer API based on the NeXTSTEP object system.Missing: joint | Show results with:joint
  13. [13]
    NeXTSTEP - ArchiveOS
    Dec 4, 2019 · NeXTSTEP 1.0 was released 18 September 1989 after a couple of hits in 1986, and last Release 3.3 in early 1995, and previously worked only on ...Missing: Builder | Show results with:Builder
  14. [14]
    IBM SDO Developer Support News - 1995 - Issue 3 - OS2World.com
    (Muratec), Novell Inc., Ricoh Company Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., Sharp Corporation, and Toshiba Corporation. IBM Software Page Debuts on the Internet.
  15. [15]
    No Cocoa was not available on those platform. OpenStep was ...
    OpenStep ... PDO=Portable Distributed Objects which was an alternative to Corba back when Corba was such a big trends. ... OpenStep: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ ...
  16. [16]
    OpenStep Introduction - GNUstep
    Foundation Kit The Foundation Kit(TM) provides the fundamental building blocks that applications use to manage data and resources. It defines facilities for ...Missing: core frameworks
  17. [17]
    [PDF] OPENSTEP SPECIFICATION - NeXT Computers
    Oct 19, 1994 · This document sets forth the OpenStep application programming interface (API). You may down-load one copy of this specification as long as it is ...
  18. [18]
    NSWindow.html - GNUstep
    The NSWindow class defines objects that manage and coordinate the windows that an application displays on the screen.Missing: OpenStep Kit
  19. [19]
    NSView.html - GNUstep
    NSView is an abstract class that provides its subclasses with a structure for drawing and for handling events. Any application that needs to display, print, or ...Missing: OpenStep Kit
  20. [20]
    [PDF] DISCOVERING OPENSTEP: A DEVELOPER TUTORIAL
    Intel-based PCs, Sun SPARC workstations, NeXT's Motorola 68040-based computers. CORBA. NeXT has licensed SunSoft's implementation of the CORBA standard (from ...
  21. [21]
    SP 94: Distributed Applications and NeXT's PDO - Jacob Filipp
    The PDO system extends the power of Distributed Objects to non-NextStep computers. It allows a core section of the NextStep environment to run on other systems.Missing: OpenStep specification
  22. [22]
    [PDF] Enterprise Objects Framework Developer's Guide
    This manual describes EOF 3.0. Writing: Kelly Toshach. With help from: Bruce Arthur, Nancy Craighill, Craig Federighi, Patrick Gates,. Stan Jirman, Kenny ...
  23. [23]
    NSProcessInfo class reference - GNUstep
    Instances of this class encapsulate information on the current process. For example, you can get the arguments, environment variables, host name, ...Missing: portability | Show results with:portability
  24. [24]
    NSThread class reference - GNUstep.org
    This class encapsulates OpenStep threading. See NSLock and its subclasses for handling synchronisation between threads.Missing: security | Show results with:security
  25. [25]
    NEXTSTEP Operating System
    The developed operating system NEXTSTEP is UNIX related and also contains parts of the BSD and the Mach Kernel, therefore it is compatibly to BSD.
  26. [26]
    NEXTSTEP and OPENSTEP Resource Page: Software
    Jul 5, 2005 · This page will cover aspects of NEXTSTEP, OPENSTEP, WebObjects, Enterprise Objects and software that was bundled with the release of any of ...
  27. [27]
    OPENSTEP 4.1 - BetaWiki
    Jul 18, 2024 · OPENSTEP for Mach 4.1 is a version of OPENSTEP, released in December 1996. A variant of this version, OPENSTEP Enterprise (OSE), was made to ...
  28. [28]
    [PDF] What's New in WebObjects 4.0 - Apple Developer
    rtf. WebObjects Builder Changes. WebObjects Builder has two new major features for 4.0: Undo and frame editing support. • You can now undo changes using ...
  29. [29]
    OPENSTEP 4.2 - BetaWiki
    Jul 18, 2024 · OPENSTEP for Mach 4.2 is the last version of NeXTSTEP, released in January 1997, one month after the announcement of the acquisition of NeXT by Apple.
  30. [30]
    OPENSTEP 4.2 Developer Release Notes - NeXToP hOme 2.0
    May 30, 1997 · These on-line Release Notes list new features, fixed bugs, and known bugs that will be of interest to developers using OPENSTEP(TM) for Mach, ...
  31. [31]
    NeXTSTEP OpenStep FAQ - Higher Intellect Vintage Wiki
    6.6 If a specific I/O card is not supported by NeXT, can 3rd parties write drivers for NEXTSTEP/Intel? ... Because WebObjects is Java compatible, you even can ...<|separator|>
  32. [32]
    NeXTSTEP - BetaWiki
    Feb 18, 2024 · NeXTSTEP, later known as OPENSTEP, is a discontinued Unix-based operating system based on the Mach kernel and BSD.
  33. [33]
    NeXTSTEP on HP 9000 PA-RISC Computers - OpenPA
    NeXTSTEP supports several 32-bit HP 9000 PA-RISC workstations in release 3.3 from 1994, for which HP and NeXT had high hopes.
  34. [34]
    Sun announces availability of Solaris OPENSTEP and Workshop ...
    Oct 25, 2024 · The Solaris OpenStep and WorkShop OpenStep products for SPARC are scheduled to ship in late Q3 of 1996. In order to offer customers complete ...
  35. [35]
    FoRK Archive: Re: Free OpenStep?!? - Rohit Khare
    Aug 21, 1996 · Download Solaris OpenStep 1.0. Solaris OpenStep Files to Download. Listed below are the files you need to download to install Solaris OpenStep.Missing: 1996 | Show results with:1996
  36. [36]
    [PDF] Porting NEXTSTEP 3.2/3.3 Applications to OpenStep on Solaris
    The specification for OpenStep was developed by NeXT Computer and Sun. OpenStep is based on the NEXTSTEP Release 3.2 development environment created by NeXT ...Missing: joint 1993 1994<|control11|><|separator|>
  37. [37]
    Openstep on a SparcStation 5/Solaris 2.5.1 - So close yet...
    Jul 7, 2008 · I have got so close to installing OpenStep on my SparcStation 5. After setting my .xinitrc file to the one provide in openstep/lib, the Openstep Window manager ...Openstep on a SparcStation 5/Solaris 2.5.1 - So close yet... - Page 2nextstep on a sparcstation 20... - NeXT ComputersMore results from www.nextcomputers.org
  38. [38]
    [PDF] OpenStep for Solaris - Simson Garfinkel
    OpenStep 1.1 installs smoothly from CD-ROM by running a single installation script that's aptly named. "install." This script figures out what packages you need ...Missing: July 1996
  39. [39]
    OpenStep Enterprise 4.1, for Windows NT, HP-UX, and Solaris
    Dec 29, 2022 · OpenStep Enterprise 4.1 is a port of the OpenStep APIs, Adobe's Display PostScript engine, the NeXT/GNU Objective-C toolchain, and graphical application ...Missing: 1997 | Show results with:1997
  40. [40]
    [PDF] OPENSTEP ENTERPRISE Dynamic Business Applications for the ...
    OPENSTEP Enterprise protects your technology investments by seamlessly integrating existing corporate data and applications with your core business logic.Missing: Sun | Show results with:Sun
  41. [41]
    OpenStep and Solaris White Paper
    This white paper describes OpenStep's features and benefits and SunSoft's plans for incorporating OpenStep into Solaris. The OpenStep Initiative The primary ...
  42. [42]
    A Small History of Personal Workstations - Oracle Blogs
    Oct 27, 2017 · 1998, First upgrade - an Ultra1 Workstation. Starting with Solaris 2.5 and CDE, later upgrading to Solaris 2.6 and 7, but sticking with CDE.
  43. [43]
    Goodbye NEO, hello Enterprise Java Beans - SunWorld
    Sun has also scrapped its Solaris OpenStep initiative. A few years back, Sun hatched NEO (then called DOE or Distributed Objects Everywhere) as a C++ ...
  44. [44]
    The curious case of NextStep on AIX - OSnews
    Feb 2, 2017 · The AIX NextStep Interface Builder is designed to provide a rich set of well-defined objects and graphical cut-and-paste capabilities for ...Missing: partial | Show results with:partial
  45. [45]
    SunSoft (finally) releases Project DOE - SunWorld - October 1995
    OpenStep: The programmatic underpinnings for NEOdesktop user tools. Based on NeXT ... For relational database access, SunSoft tapped Persistence Software.
  46. [46]
    SUNSOFT'S DISTRIBUTED OBJECTS TAKES ITS BOW AS NEO
    Sep 26, 1995 · The OpenStep run-time environment, development tools and NeXTstep ... Persistence Software Inc, San Mateo, California, and the company is ...
  47. [47]
    [PDF] What's The Next Step After Client/Server? - levenez.com
    Mar 15, 1994 · ple, Sun Microsystems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. joined with Steve Jobs' NeXT. Computer Inc. to develop the. OpenStep Object Oriented.<|separator|>
  48. [48]
    OpenStep - Wikipedia
    NeXT submitted the OpenStep specification to the industry's object standards bodies. The official OpenStep API, published in September 1994, was the ...
  49. [49]
    What Is Cocoa? - Apple Developer
    Sep 18, 2013 · Interface Builder has been around almost since the inception of Cocoa as NeXTSTEP. Not surprisingly, its integration with Cocoa is airtight.Missing: influence | Show results with:influence
  50. [50]
    Mac OS X DP2 - Ars Technica
    Dec 14, 1999 · Classic Mac OS compatibility. Mac OS X Server runs classic Mac OS apps via the Blue Box: a virtual machine that runs an actual copy of Mac OS 8.
  51. [51]
    Apple Releases Darwin 1.0 Open Source
    Apr 5, 2000 · Darwin 1.0 gives developers access to essential Mac OS X source code. This allows developers to enhance the feature set, performance and quality ...Missing: 10.0 2001<|separator|>
  52. [52]
    From lame to Lion—the 12-year evolution of OS X - Ars Technica
    Dec 27, 2012 · Mac OS X 10.1: Puma. The next major version of Mac OS X, 10.1, was ... The company claimed it had nothing new to add to OS X except refinements ...
  53. [53]
    Apple previews major update with macOS Sierra
    PRESS RELEASE June 13, 2016. Apple previews major update with macOS Sierra. Use Siri on the Mac, Access Your Desktop from Anywhere, Copy and ...
  54. [54]
    Objective-C Runtime | Apple Developer Documentation
    The Objective-C runtime is a runtime library that provides support for the dynamic properties of the Objective-C language, and as such is linked to by all ...
  55. [55]
    Using Objective-C Runtime Features in Swift - Apple Developer
    In Swift, Objective-C selectors are represented by the Selector structure, and you create them using the #selector expression. In Swift, you create a selector ...
  56. [56]
    GNUstep History
    The OpenStep specification is now available to the public via anonymous FTP from NeXT's archive server: ftp.next.com.
  57. [57]
    GNUstep
    GNUstep is a framework for GUI and server applications, using an open-source version of Cocoa APIs, and is portable across platforms.Introduction · GNUstep · GNUstep Wiki · GNUstep Developer Tools<|control11|><|separator|>
  58. [58]
    GNUstep on Windows
    GNUstep runs on Windows and thus allows to develop and deploy your application on this common platform.
  59. [59]
    Window Maker: Home
    Window Maker is an X11 window manager originally designed to provide integration support for the GNUstep Desktop Environment, although it can run stand alone.Missing: 2025 ROX- Filer
  60. [60]
    Releases · gnustep/libs-base - GitHub
    The GNUstep Base Library is a library of general-purpose, non-graphical Objective C objects. For example, it includes classes for strings, object collections, ...
  61. [61]
    StepTalk Scripting Framework - GNUstep
    StepTalk is the official GNUstep scripting framework, language-independent, using Smalltalk as default, and can be extended with other languages.
  62. [62]
    Étoilé
    Étoilé is an innovative GNUstep based user environment built from the ground up on highly modular and light components with project and document orientation ...
  63. [63]
    GNUstep under Ubuntu Linux - GNUstepWiki
    Apr 17, 2022 · The following repo contains scripts that compile and install everything needed for GNUstep Objective-C 2.0.