OpenStep facts for kids
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| Developer(s) | NeXT, Sun Microsystems |
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| Initial release | October 19, 1994 |
| Written in | Objective-C |
| Operating system | Solaris; Windows NT; Unix-like operating systems with the Mach kernel |
| Platform | IA-32, PA-RISC, SPARC |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Application programming interface |
OpenStep was like a special set of instructions for computers, created by a company called NeXT. It helped programmers build software, especially programs with cool graphics and buttons you could click. Think of it as a blueprint for making apps!
This system was designed to work on many different types of computers. This meant that if a programmer wrote code using OpenStep, it could run on NeXT's own computers, Windows NT systems, and various Unix-based computers. OpenStep was very important because it influenced how other similar systems were made, like Cocoa for Apple's macOS, and GNUstep.
OpenStep was mainly developed by NeXT and Sun Microsystems. They wanted to make it easier to create advanced programs for Sun's operating systems, especially Solaris. NeXT also made its own version of OpenStep for its Unix-based operating system, which they called OPENSTEP. This version included even more features than the original OpenStep plan.
Contents
How OpenStep Started
Computers made by Sun Microsystems in the past were tricky to program. Programmers had to use very basic instructions, which made even simple projects complicated. Sun tried to make things easier with a system called NeWS, but it was too complex and slow, so it wasn't used much.
Sun then started looking for better ways to build software. They decided to work with NeXT, a company founded by Steve Jobs. In 1993, Sun invested money in NeXT to create OpenStep. This partnership was seen as a big step forward for NeXT.
The main idea was to take parts of NeXT's own operating system, called NeXTSTEP, and make them work on Sun's Solaris operating system. They removed the parts of NeXTSTEP that only worked on NeXT's specific hardware. What was left was a smaller system that included tools for drawing graphics, the Objective-C programming language, and many of NeXTSTEP's useful libraries.
The first plan for OpenStep was shared by NeXT in mid-1994. Later that year, NeXT released its own version of NeXTSTEP that followed the OpenStep rules. They called it OPENSTEP. This system worked on several of NeXT's computers and also on Sun's SPARC systems. OPENSTEP became NeXT's main operating system until NeXT joined with Apple Computer in 1997. After that, OPENSTEP's ideas were combined with Apple's existing Mac OS to create Mac OS X. The operating systems for iPhone and iPad, called iOS, also use ideas from OPENSTEP.
Sun wanted to use OpenStep to help build user interfaces for its own object system, called Solaris NEO. They worked to make OpenStep's tools, like Interface Builder, work with Sun's programming tools. Sun also brought over some of NeXTSTEP's applications, like Mail.app and the Dock, to Solaris.
Sun later focused more on Java, which was another way to build programs. In 1996, Sun released a test version of OpenStep for Solaris, and it was available for download.
What Made OpenStep Different
OpenStep was different from NeXTSTEP in a few important ways:
- NeXTSTEP was a complete operating system, like Windows or macOS. OpenStep was an application programming interface (API), which is a set of tools and rules for building software.
- Unlike NeXTSTEP, OpenStep did not need a special part of the operating system called the Mach kernel.
- NeXTSTEP had specific ways of storing data (called "endianness") depending on the computer's processor. OpenStep was designed to work with any way of storing data.
- OpenStep also added new ways to organize code (called classes) and manage computer memory.
The OpenStep API had three main parts:
- Foundation Kit: This was a basic set of tools for common programming tasks.
- Application Kit: This part helped create the graphical user interface (GUI), which is what you see and interact with on the screen.
- Display PostScript: This was a system for drawing graphics and windows on the screen.
How OpenStep Was Used
OpenStep was used to create several important software systems:
OPENSTEP for Mach
NeXT's first operating system was NeXTSTEP. It ran on NeXT's own computers and was later adapted to work on Intel x86 computers, Hewlett-Packard workstations, and Sun Microsystems workstations.
NeXT created a version of OpenStep for its existing Mach-based operating system and called it OPENSTEP for Mach. This was essentially an improved NeXTSTEP. It kept many classic NeXTSTEP features, like the Dock and Shelf, and had better support for different computer parts. OPENSTEP for Mach worked on Intel x86 PCs, Sun SPARC workstations, and NeXT's own computers. It became NeXT's main operating system from 1995 onwards, especially on Intel computers.
Solaris OpenStep
Sun and NeXT also developed a version of OpenStep that ran on Sun's Solaris operating system. However, Sun later became more interested in Java, which competed with OpenStep. For Solaris OpenStep, the tools for building programs, like Interface Builder, were sold separately.
OPENSTEP Enterprise
NeXT also made a version of OpenStep that ran on Windows NT 4.0, called OPENSTEP Enterprise (often shortened to OSE). This showed how easily programs made with OpenStep could be moved to different computer systems. Companies that were switching to Windows could still use their OpenStep programs. Even though it looked a bit different on Windows, OSE worked well and helped OpenStep stay in use longer.
Rhapsody and Mac OS X Server
After Apple bought NeXT, Apple planned to release a new operating system called Rhapsody. This was a redesigned version of OPENSTEP for Mach, made for both Mac and standard PCs. Rhapsody included features from Apple's Mac OS 8 and support for Java and other Apple technologies. It was like OPENSTEP 5. Two test versions of Rhapsody were released, and Mac OS X Server 1.0 was the first official release, made for PowerPC Mac computers.
macOS Today
Later, Apple replaced the graphics system in Rhapsody with something called Quartz. They also added better ways for older Mac OS programs to work, through something called Carbon. Then, Apple released Mac OS X (now called macOS), starting with version 10.0.
The main way to program for macOS is essentially OpenStep, with some new additions. The development tools and libraries are now called Cocoa. macOS has become a very popular computer operating system. While macOS is no longer exactly an OpenStep system, it still uses many of its core ideas.
GNUstep
GNUstep is a free software project that started around the time of NeXTSTEP. While Apple bought OPENSTEP and stopped its commercial development for other computers, GNUstep is an ongoing project. Its goal is to create a free and open-source version of the Cocoa/OPENSTEP libraries that can run on many different computer systems. GNUstep also has its own development tools and has added some new features inspired by macOS's Cocoa.
See also
- NeXT character set
- Multi-architecture binary
