To: "Terry Leeper" <tleeper@microsoft.com>
Subject: Re: MASM references
From: Jonathan Kirwan <jkirwan@easystreet.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 16:32:42 -0800

Thanks much for the call, today.  Appreciated.

I'd like to summarize my understanding of our conversation and then to
ask a few questions:

(1)  Microsoft currently supports ML as part of the VC++ product set,
not as a separate product on its own right.

(2)  Although ML is currently available in the DDKs from Microsoft web
sites, that mechanism is still under review and may change soon
(perhaps prior to or near the release of VC++ 7.0 on Feb 13th, next
year.)  It is possible that the only mechanism remaining will be to
purchase VC++ 7.0.  It is possible that some other method may become
available.

(3)  There was a "licensing issue" of sorts which brought all this to
your attention recently, regarding the lack of a licensing statement
meeting Microsoft policies on ML.

(4)  Microsoft does intend, at this time, to continue providing
updates to ML and making it available through the VC++ product
distribution.  Other methods of distribution are still under review.

(5)  On request, Microsoft does sometimes provide ML for use by
universities and colleges for schoolwide educational purposes.

(6)  The Feb. 13th release version of 7.0 VC++ still won't include
partial template specialization.  However, a later release (not so
delayed as the 6.0 products might lead one to believe) will likely
include it.

(7)  There is some work going on with the VC++ linker product which
may support embedded purposes.  But no specific information, at this
time.  (It still lacks the features found in GNU's ld.)


Some questions:

(A)  Does your group still produce the version 6.1 boxed sets they
used to produce, a few years ago?  Can I get my local college book
store to purchase them for their shelves?  Or is the packaging no
longer in production, at all?

(B)  Can your group consider the possibility of releasing into the
public domain some fixed, older version of MASM or ML together with a
.DOC or .PDF of the manual set?  I'm thinking here of Microsoft's
release of the 6.10 product or similar.  No need to worry about
updating it into the future, since the purpose would be primarily for
personal, educational use and possibly for embedded product use.

.. .. ..

I hope you don't mind me asking these questions.  I commit about 300
to 500 hours a year as a volunteer, after-hour science teacher and on
occasion, I get a few students wondering how they can learn assembly
language mostly on their own.  When I think about answering that
question, I really wish I could point them to the ML program and to
the documentation for it -- the docs were excellent references and
very helpful; better than much else out there.  Randall Hyde's AofA is
an excellent supplement, but it would be much better to have the
Microsoft documents available for their use.  The bare ML program just
doesn't cut it.

Frankly, I really don't think that Microsoft would be harmed in any
way by releasing the 6.10 version.  I actually think it would be a
positive PR boon without a downside.  But I don't have your
visibility, of course.  Still, I'd like to encourage you to consider
the possibility.

Thanks much for your time,
Jon