Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!samsung!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!cps3xx!usenet
From: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: C/Utilities Toolchest (MIX Software)
Summary: problem found and fixed
Keywords: unix, msdos
Message-ID: <5720@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 8 Dec 89 16:43:40 GMT
References: <5678@cps3xx.UUCP> <1045@kosman.UUCP>
Reply-To: hendrick@frith.UUCP (Kenneth J. Hendrickson)
Organization: Michigan State University
Lines: 41

I have found the problem with the C/Utilities Toolchest and BRIEF.  The
problem lies only in how the two programs interact.  Both programs use
memory location 004F1.  BRIEF does not reset the value of this memory
location when it is finished.  Maybe this is a reason to fault BRIEF,
but listen to this:  If the C/Utilities Toolchest programs do not find
the value they want in this location when the program is first invoked,
they terminate without doing any useful work!  I think this was rather
poor software design.  Memory location 004F1 is listed as being in 16
bytes of Inter-Application Communication area, for programs to transfer
data or parameters between themselves.[1]

I have written a small program which I can run after I run the BRIEF
editor that solves this problem.  You can look at it as cleaning up
after BRIEF, or initialization for the C/Utilities Toolchest that they
don't do themselves.  I prefer to think of it as the latter.  In the
next couple of days, (or weeks), I will package this software and upload
it to c.b.i.p, including source code.  This way, anybody else who has
experienced this incompatability problem can also use my solution if
they want to.

BRIEF is the Basic Reconfigurable Interactive Editing Facility.  It is
the best editor (for source code) that I have ever seen.  It allows you
to extend the editor as you see fit through a LISP-like language with
C-like functions.  It comes with the capability of compiling from inside
the editor, moving immediately to any syntax errors with one keystroke,
and context sensitive editing (remember LISP editors) for C (and maybe
Pascal, FORTRAN, and LISP but I can't remember if I might have added
these myself.)  I would never dream of giving up the BRIEF editor, and I
only have version 1.33.  I didn't upgrade; maybe I should!  The new
version is probably much better.

[1]  Dave Williams, Programmers Technical Reference for MSDOS and the
IBM PC., Shareware, 1216ref2.arc on simtel20.arpa

Note: Peter Norton doesn't say anything about this location in either
version of his book "Peter Norton's guide to the IBM PC" or "The NEW
Peter Norton's Programmers Guide to the IBM PC & PS/2".

In the rare case that original ideas   Kenneth J. Hendrickson    N8DGN
are found here, I am responsible.      Owen W328, E. Lansing, MI 48825
Internet: kjh@usc.edu                  UUCP: ...!uunet!usc!pollux!kjh