Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a563
From: a563@mindlink.UUCP (Dave Kirsch)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: 2 mouse questions
Message-ID: <4324@mindlink.UUCP>
Date: 3 Jan 91 22:50:10 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Lines: 40

> jdb@reef.cis.ufl.edu writes:
> 
> Msg-ID: <26151@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
> Posted: 4 Jan 91 00:42:02 GMT
> 
> Org.  : UF CIS Dept.
> Person: Brian K. W. Hook
> 
> I doubt that Nortno changes the font since the arrow would move in character
> cell movements (ie. very jerky and blocky).  I am quite baffled by both
> Norton's ability and Microsoft's (Word 5.5 and Works) ability to generate
> the arrow AND run in a text mode capable of using FAST screen writes for
> popup windows.
> 
> Brian

Actually, they both _do_ change the font.  It's quite simple, actually. The
arrow pointer is not just one character, but _four_.  By redefining the
characters on the fly, and shifting the pointer by bits based on the cell
location and using 2 characters width instead of one, it works fine.

I was somewhat curious on how Norton did it, and wrote some of my own code to
make the arrow appear in text mode.  There are some problems though, since the
arrow is now 4 characters (2 by 2), color attributes  get in the way.  Norton
(any myself) solved this by always using the _same_ foreground color for
everything on the screen (as an example, white) and just using different
background colors.

If your interested, I can probably clean up my code a bit and send you a copy.
Simple mouse routines that interface with the mouse driver using function 12.
My routines draw the mouse cursor, it doesn't use the mouse driver to draw it.
The routines are compatible with Turbo C 2.0 and higher, or MSC 6.0 and higher.

--
--
/// Dave 'Zoid' Kirsch UUCP: {uunet,ubc-cs}!van-bc!rsoft!mindlink!a563
Voice: (604) 585-8844        a563@mindlink.UUCP
                             Zoid@cc.sfu.ca
                       Vancouver, British Columbia
"In-no-sense?  Nonsense!" - The Art Of Noise.