Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!chinet!saj
From: saj@chinet.chi.il.us (Stephen Jacobs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Open Files at AC_CLOSE
Summary: Mishandling a desk accessory can cause surprises
Keywords: DeskAccessory AC_CLOSE
Message-ID: <8737@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 21 Jun 89 04:50:08 GMT
References: <1158@gmdzi.UUCP> <1574@atari.UUCP>
Organization: Chinet - Chicago, Ill.
Lines: 18

In article <1574@atari.UUCP>, apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt) writes:
[Many wise things, including]
> One crucial thing to remember is that desk accessories are meant to
> be like the Control Panel or a calculator or something -- you open
> them, use them, and close them.  Desk accessories which do things in
> "background" are an extension to this concept, and much trickier.

An amusing experiment to try when you're finished using a GEM application
and don't mind rebooting is to open the Control Panel, then quit the
application with the Control Panel still open.  The results may be somewhat
variable, depending on the applocation.  But for at least one application,
on a 1040 ST with original ROM TOS, this causes a normal return to the
desktop, with the Control Panel closed, but with the Control Panel's memory
of ALL colors set to the desktop background.  That means that the next time 
the Control Panel is openned, the screen goes blank (or bright green, or 
whatever).  Please interpret this note as an observation that abusing desk
accessories can cause surprising results, not as criticism of ANYTHING.
                               Steve J.