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NewtonScript
NewtonScript is an object-oriented programming language developed by Walter Smith for Apple for the Newton OS running on their MessagePad & eMate hardware. It borrows concepts from the Smalltalk, LISP, and Self programming languages with special consideration for a low memory footprint (esp. differential inheritance). In 2003, Makoto Nukui developed NEWT/0, a NewtonScript interpreter for use on other platforms. Matthias Melcher took that one step further with NEWT/64, a 64-bit variation of NEWT/0.
For assistance with programming in the NewtonScript language beyond the documentation provided here, it is suggested that you join the newtonscript-lang.slack.com Slack team (get an invite), join the #newtonscript channel on irc.libera.chat, tag a question with the 'newtonscript' tag on stackoverflow.com, or post to the NewtonTalk mailing list.
Table of Contents
- Development Tools
- Documentation
- Libraries
- Sample Code
- Further Reading
Development Tools
- Dashboard
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An alternate button bar, hierarchical menu, and scripting system (using NewtonScript) for Newton OS. Source available on GitHub.
- DyneTK
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A cross-platform IDE for Newton OS software development. Built on NEWT/0.
- Author: Matthias Melcher
- Platform: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
- License: Open Source
- Einstein
-
A Newton OS 2.1 emulator. It includes a “Relativity” feature that allows NewtonScript to call native methods from the parent OS from within the Newton OS.
- Author: Paul Guyot
- Platform: Mac OS X, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android, ARM-Linux
- License: Open Source
- Minspector
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A Newton OS Newton debugging tool modeled after the Newton Toolkit Inspector.
- NEWT/0
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A multi-platform NewtonScript interpreter.
- Author: Makoto Nukui
- Platform: Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, BeOS
- License: Open Source
- NEWT/64
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A multi-platform NewtonScript interpreter based on NEWT/0 modified for 64-bit platforms.
- Author: Matthias Melcher
- Platform: Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, BeOS
- License: Open Source
- newt.vim
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A cross-platform Vim syntax highlighter for the NewtonScript language.
- Author: Layána Ǩaynolj Konóvo
- Platform: Vim
- License: Unknown
- NewtDevEnv (Newt)
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An environment for developing applications using NewtonScript and creating packages natively on a Newton OS device.
- Author: Steve Weyer
- Platform: Newton OS
- License: Shareware
- Newton Data Browser
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A application which can send NewtonScript commands and functions to a Newton device and then retrieve the results using a desktop or laptop computer.
- NewtonScript Xcode Language Specification
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An Xcode language specicification (syntax highlighter) for the NewtonScript language.
- Author: Simon Bell
- Platform: Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- NewtonScript Mode
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A SubEthaEdit and Coda Mode (syntax highlighter) for the NewtonScript language.
- NewtonScript Codeless Language Module
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A BBEdit and TextWrangler Codeless Language Module (syntax highlighter) for the NewtonScript language.
- Author: Simon Bell
- Platform: Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- Newton Inspector
-
A native implementation of the NTK Inspector window for Mac OS X.
- Author: Jake Bordens
- Platform: Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- Newton Personal Data Sharing (NPDS)
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A web server for Newton OS which can be scripted to generate dynamic content using NewtonScript.
- Newton Toolkit (NTK)
-
Apple’s original IDE for Newton OS software development.
- Author: Apple
- Platform: Mac OS, Windows
- License: Freeware
- Newton Toolkit for Mac OS X (NTX)
-
A modern replacement for Apple’s original Newton Toolkit.
- Author: Simon Bell
- Platform: Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- Newton Toolkit Bracket Highlighting & Balancing
-
This bit of code adds visual bracket matching, highlighting, and balancing functionality to the Newton Toolkit editor.
- Author: Peter Kaas
- Platform: Mac OS, Windows
- License: Freeware
- NSM
-
A portable NewtonScript bytecode virtual machine.
- Author: Matej Horvat
- Platform: DOS, Haiku, Mac OS X, OS/2, Windows
- License: Freeware
- Prota
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An implementation of NewtonScript written in C++.
- Author: Walter Smith
- Platform: Linux, Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- ROM Soup
-
A utility for exploring the Soup contained within Newton ROM images. It can preview code, strings, pictures, sounds, and more.
- Author: Steve White
- Platform: Mac OS X
- License: Open Source
- tntk
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A command line NewtonScript compiler and packager. Built on NEWT/0.
- ViewFrame
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A live NewtonScript object browser, editor, and debugging tool.
- Author: Jason Harper
- Platform: Newton OS, Windows
- License: Freeware
Libraries
- MacInTalk
-
Apple's official MacInTalk Text-to-Speech extension for Newton OS.
- mbed TLS
-
A port of the mbed TLS SSL/TLS library to NewtonOS, allowing for secure network communications.
- Author: Paul Guyot
- Platform: Newton OS
- License: Open Source
- Newton Messaging Enabler
-
Apple's Messaging Enabler "Provide[s] high-level support for a wide variety of messaging devices. Messaging devices are both one-way and two-way pagers, or more generally, any device that can receive (and maybe send) short, usually less than 5 KB, wireless messages."
- NHttpLib
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An HTTP library for Newton OS. Source available on SourceForge.
- NSUnit
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A simple xUnit unit testing framework for the NewtonScript language (currently supporting NEWT/0) by Morgan Aldridge.
- ntox
-
A port of the tox XML/HTML tokenizer.
- ZLib
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A partial port of the zlib compression library, based on the version 1.1.4 release.
- Author: Paul Guyot
- Platform: Newton OS
- License: Open Source
Documentation
- Class-based NewtonScript Programming
-
A paper explaining conventions for simulating class-based programming in NewtonScript, which is a prototype-based language, from the designer of the language.
- Developing NewtonScript apps for the Apple MessagePad
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A walk-through on setting up a Newton Toolkit development environment using Basilisk II and Einstein emulators.
- develop
-
Apple’s quarterly technical journal published from 1990-1997, before being pulled into MacTech magazine as a regular column. The following issues contain Newton/NewtonScript-specific articles:
- Dr. Dobb’s
-
Michael Swaine explored the Newton as a platform, NewtonScript as a programming language, and NTK as a development environment in 1994 & 1995 for his “Programming Paradigms” column in Dr. Dobb’s magazine.
Note: Free registration required to view more than two articles.
- Folklore.org: The Newton, The First PDA
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“Anecdotes about the development of the Newton, the world's first PDA.” The following articles cover NewtonScript:
- Frames in GoLisp
-
An explanation of the frames implementation in GoLisp, including comparison to Self & NewtonScript, by which it was inspired.
- Hammering Newton
-
Unofficial documentation of the inner workings of Newton OS as gleaned using the "Hammer" low level debugger. The following sections are NewtonScript-specific:
- How to Work with the Text-to-Speech Extension
-
An example of developing with the MacInTalk Text-to-Speech extension.
- More Newton Text to Speech
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An explanation of the embedded commands available in the MacInTalk Text-to-Speech extension.
- Newton 2.x OS Q&As
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Additional clarification, documentation, and examples for Newton OS 2.x development, including a section devoted to NewtonScript (though much of the rest of the documentation is relevant to developing in NewtonScript anyway). Available as a single page containing all content or multiple pages by section.
- The Newton Application Architecture
-
Official overview of the Newton application architecture, including the NewtonScript language, view system, object store, and communications system.
- Newton Book Maker User’s Guide
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Official documentation on creating digital books and application help for the Newton, including the use of NewtonScript to customize book interaction, display, and behavior.
- Newton Bowels
-
Unofficial documentation of the inner workings of Newton OS. The following articles are NewtonScript-specific:
- Newton Formats
-
Official documentation of Newton data formats and protocols.
- Newton Formats Errata
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Unofficial corrections to errors found in Apple's Newton Formats documentation.
- Newton OS 2.1 Engineering Documents
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Official documentation of changes and additions in Newton OS 2.1, including: NewtWorks, keyboard enhancements, grayscale imaging, graphics shapes, sound, dial-in networks, IrDA communications tool, and the eMate 300 multi-user environment.
- Newton OS 2.1 Engineering Documents: Miscellaneous
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A preliminary draft version of Chapter 11: Miscellaneous that appears to have been intended to be added to the Newton OS 2.1 Engineering Documents, covering additions in Newton OS 2.1 that weren't, "[L]engthy enough to warrant their own chapters."
- Newton OS Error Database
-
A searchable database of Newton OS error codes gleaned from the NTK for Windows v1.6.1 help file, NIE 2.0 API documentation, and Lantern DDK documentation.
- Newton Programmer’s Guide (for Newton 2.0)
-
Official documentation for the Newton OS 2.0 application programming interfaces, providing an overview and conceptual information. See the Newton Programmer’s Reference for detailed reference documentation of data structures, functions, constants, and error codes.
- Newton Programmer’s Guide: 2.1 OS Addendum
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Official documentation covering additions and changes in the Newton OS 2.1 application programming interfaces.
- Newton Programmer’s Reference (for Newton 2.0)
-
Official documentation of the Newton OS 2.0 protos, methods, functions, data structures, and error codes. A companion to the Newton Programmer’s Guide.
- NewtonScript ByteCode
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Documentation of the NewtonScript bytecode as compiled through observation.
- NewtonScriptに見る: もうひとつのプロトタイプ指向
-
An overview of the NewtonScript language presented at the 2008 Lightweight Language conference in Toyko, Japan.
- The NewtonScript Programming Language
-
Official introduction & reference material for the NewtonScript language under Newton OS 2.x. You’ll probably want to start here.
- プログラミング言語 NewtonScript
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An unofficial Japanese translation of Apple’s NewtonScript Programming Language reference.
- Newton Technology Journal
-
Apple’s Newton-specific technical journal, published six times per year from 1995-1997. The content is 70% development and 30% marketing.
- Volume I, Number 1 (PDF; February 1995)
- Volume I, Number 2 (PDF; April 1995)
- Volume I, Number 3 (PDF; June 1995)
- Volume I, Number 4 (PDF; August 1995)
- Volume I, Number 5 (PDF; November 1995)
- Volume II, Number 1 (PDF; February 1996)
- Volume II, Number 2 (PDF; April 1996; translations: Japanese)
- Volume II, Number 3 (PDF; June 1996; translations: Japanese)
- Volume II, Number 4 (PDF; August 1996)
- Volume II, Number 5 (PDF; October 1996)
- Volume III, Number 1 (PDF; January 1997)
- Volume III, Number 2 (PDF; March 1997)
- Newton Toolkit 1.6.x File Formats
-
Official documentation of file formats used by NTK 1.6.x for Windows and Macintosh, specifically Project files, Layout files, and native code module files.
- Newton Toolkit Tips and Tricks
-
Tips & tricks for NTK, esp. the Windows version.
- Newton User Interface Guidelines (for Newton 2.0)
-
Official documentation of Newton OS 2.0 user interface and how to optimize software for it, including the whys and hows.
- Newt’s Cape: NewtonScript Syntax
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This document covers issues related to embedding NewtonScript syntax in HTML and embedding HTML in NewtonScript.
- Programming for the Newton: Software Development with NewtonScript
-
- Author: Julie McKeehan, Neil Rhodes
- Format: Book
- Programming for the Newton Using Macintosh
-
- Author: Julie McKeehan, Neil Rhodes
- Format: Book, HTML
- Mirror: UNNA
- Programming for the Newton Using Windows
-
- Author: Julie McKeehan, Neil Rhodes
- Format: Book
- Mirror: UNNA
- SELF and the Origins of NewtonScript
-
An introduction to the paper Self: The Power of Simplicity, by Ungar and Smith, which describes the aspects of NewtonScript which were inspired by the SELF programming language.
- Soups on the Newton
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An overview on creating and interacting with soups using NewtonScript.
- The NewtonScript Programming Language
-
An overview of NewtonScript language, illustrating the differences between object oriented programming paradigms and relating how some NewtonScript features have their own particular programatic flavor.
- Author: Arno Schödl
- Format: HTML
- User Interface Guidelines for Newton OS 2.1 Keyboard Enhancements
-
A supplement to Newton User Interface Guidelines which specifically covers the keyboard enhancements in Newton OS 2.1.
- Using a Prototype-based Language for User Interface: The Newton Project’s Experience
-
An explanation of how the Newton OS user interface was implemented using a prototype-based language (NewtonScript) and the advantages it has over class-based languages.
- Writing Assembly for Your Newton
-
Primarily discusses writing, linking, and packaging assembly code for Newton OS, but also covers communicating between assembly code and NewtonScript code.
Sample Code
- Internal Serial Enabler
-
Sample NTK & MPW project for Newton OS 2.1 to control the internal serial port, incl. toggling channels and GPIO.
- Newton 2.x OS Sample Code
-
Official sample Mac OS & Windows NTK projects for Newton OS 2.x.
Further Reading
- Talking with Mikel Evins about the Lisp-based Newton OS
-
In 2004, Rainer Joswig spoke with Mikel Evins, a former member of Apple’s Newton group, about an early development version of Newton OS written in Lisp.
- Dad Hacker
-
Reminiscing about early Newton development, programming, and NewtonScript with Landon Dyer, a member of the original Newton team.
Also available as audio files from Mac Folklore Radio.
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