Cocoa History

Abstract:

NeXT -> OPenStep -> Yellow Box ->Cocoa

 

Keywords:

1.NeXT

NeXT Inc. was a company founded by Steve Jobs, etc. from 1986 until 1997 when NeXT merged with Apple.

2.OpenStep

an object-oriented API specification for a legacy object-oriented operating system, with the basic goal of offering a NeXTSTEP-like environment on a non-NeXTSTEP operating system.

3. Difference between OpenStep and NeXT

3.1 OpenStep no longer referenced to operating system.

3.2 OpenStep no longer depended on Mach kernal.

3.3 OpenStep was endian-free

3.4 number of new classes(NS) and functionality, Foundation Kit or Foundation,  were provided to supporting endian-free and platform-independent. 

3.5 OpenStep used [Reference Counting] to manage memory and object lifetime, and provided [Autorelease Pools] for automatic memory management

 

Detail:

----------- As an Entire Operating System

NeXTSTEP version 0.9   1988

NeXTSTEP version 1.0   1989

NeXTSTEP version 2.0   1990

NeXTSTEP version 3.0   1992

included [windowing an imaging system(based on Display PostScript)] [Mach kernal] [device drives], and so on.

the  software libraries(dynamically shared) were known as Kits, not frameworks. Application Kit was the most prominent of them. Besides this, Sound Kit and Music Kit were also included.

----------- shipped to several architectures more than NeXT computer(Mach kernel)

NeXTSTEP version 3.1   1993   the OpenStep initiative also took form

OPENSTEP                    1994   OpenStep compliant version of NeXTSTEP

OpenStep API               1994   Application Kit began to use the "NS" prefix. was splited from Foundation. became known as, simply, AppKit

OpenStep  version 4.0   1996   

----------- merged with Apple

Yellow Box                    1997  Apple acquired NeXT, and renamed it as Yellow Box.

Cocoa                                   Foundation + AppKit

Cocoa Touch                          Foundation + UIKit