Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!convex!rosenkra From: rosenkra@convex.com (William Rosencranz) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech Subject: Re: Line A Considered Harmful (was Re: Closing AES boxes interfering with VDI drawing) Message-ID: <1990Dec19.034923.291@convex.com> Date: 19 Dec 90 03:49:23 GMT References: <9267@ncar.ucar.edu> <1990Nov29.145734.1059@chinet.chi.il.us> <27569349.8114@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca> <111330@convex.convex.com> <111628@convex.convex.com> <3391@medusainformatik.uni-erlangen.de> entropy@ai.mit.edu (entropy) writes: >In article <3391@medusainformatik.uni-erlangen.de> csbrod@medusainformatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod ) writes: > >>Right, you shouldn't use Line A anymore. > >AAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK! What? How are we supposed to do graphics >now? (PLEASE don't say "Use GEM" -- I really don't want to wait till >next spring to get some graphics on the screen.) Is there any >TT-compatible, acceptable method for producing FAST graphics on the >ST? (Preferably one that will stay acceptable.) Or are we all doomed >to either incompatibility or slow, creeping death? u know, this was my initial reaction, when i first heard the TT would not support line A (which i use because it is extremely easy to program graphics, once u make a few trivial assembler functions to do put/getpixel and drawline). in fact, i just posted a mono gif viewer yesterday which uses linea 0, 1, and 3. it also will NOT run on a color monitor, tho that was the point, afterall. i own a couple of STs (including a mega4) with both monitors, tho i greatly prefer the really excellent mono monitor. i can just see the screams of anguish THAT will cause :-) :-) :-) :-) still, it is FREE (including src) so if u don't like it, TOO BAD (expletive deleted). don't use it, or post a version (including src) that does the same and runs on ST/STe/TT/?T. since i am not selling this, i really don't care that it won't work on the TT (or ST with overscan). if/when i get a TT or BIG monitor, i will program for it. maybe the people howling at me about portability will send me one gratis :-). my stuff runs on >1 million STs. i can live with that. my next COMMERCIAL code will run on all systems, IF it makes sense from a marketing perspective (it generally does, BTW). the advice i gave on dialog boxes is sound. i will conceed that it is not entirely portable, tho i'll stand by it nevertheless. i suspect it is the basic idea that the person was looking for, which is what i presented. it is up to him/her to fill in the blanks after that. i am glad this oversite was pointed out, though i resent being called a lousy programmer because of it. i GAVE this community a working nroff (i COULD have SOLD it to you). and yes, it is not a complete/perfect nroff, but i use it daily and format reports for my customers with it (files run UNMODIFIED under real unix) as well as 100's of man pages for my system. and it is FREE with NO RESTRICTIONS so u can do whatever u like with it (no, i won't say it :-). i just added hyphenation as well, and am planning a rewrite soon, complete with (non-GDOS) fonts for italics and BOLD in conjunction with man(1). this nroff is being distributed with Minix as well (and ported with extreme ease, BTW, eventho i do not even have a running minix system) and do not receive (nor wish to) a penny from its sale. i was going to write (and distribute, src included) a tcsh(1) using MiNT as well. i am NOT going to worry about it not running on some systems. you get the src, you fix it yourself. the only reason i am forced to write this (for myself) is that u can't get the src to gulam and fix it (tho i can't complain about something free which i use regularly - in fact, just the opposite). my guess is that >95% of the people reading this group have no intentions of selling their work. those that do plan on selling, will find out what portability really means when they get complaints. besides, i see them as potential competitors :-). and NOBODY should complain about free software they can't use. i also encourage everyone to post source code so that if someone does have an odd configuration, they can fix it to work (if they want to take the time and have the propensity to do so). i generally ALWAYS post source. others cannot make this claim for one reason or another. i share my efforts...completely... no need for followups on this. the issue is beaten to death... (ok, i have calmed down...it is good to vent the spleen every once in a while and i was pissed off) -bill rosenkra@convex.com -- Bill Rosenkranz |UUCP: {uunet,texsun}!convex!c1yankee!rosenkra Convex Computer Corp. |ARPA: rosenkra%c1yankee@convex.com