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From: cummings@hammer.Prime.COM (Kevin Cummings)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc
Subject: Re: Screen sizes and DOS
Message-ID: <1991Jan28.104824@hammer.Prime.COM>
Date: 28 Jan 91 15:48:24 GMT
References: <1991Jan24.195404.16630@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <1991Jan25.130532.7956@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Reply-To: cummings@hammer.Prime.COM (Kevin Cummings)
Organization: Prime Computer, Inc.
Lines: 53
Nntp-Posting-Host: hammer

In article <1991Jan25.130532.7956@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>,
tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu (Carl Schelin) writes:
|> In article <1991Jan24.195404.16630@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>,
swdg6835@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steven Danz) says:
|> >
|> >Does anyone know of a way of telling DOS (any version) that the
screen
|> >has something other than 80 columns and 25 rows?  I am trying to
use
|> >the 132x43 and 80x43 modes on my VGA card, but DOS doesn't want to
use 
|> >the whole screen.
|> >
|> >Thanks!
|> 
|> I had a similar problem. I believe that you have to load a different
|> ansi driver (assuming you have DOS's Ansi.Sys loaded). 
|> 
|> When I started using NNansi/VAnsi (came with the board)/FansiConsole
|> the screen size problem went away.
|> 
|> Carl Schelin
|> tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu

And the rest of the software does NOT look in the BIOS data area.
Instead it makes ASSUMPTIONS about your screen size.  Some work only
if you are in an 80 column mode, others just assume 80x24 period.
A few peices of software (like Windows 3.0) do check, but only for
IBM supported values (like if you're not in 80x25, and you are an
EGA, you MUST be in 80x43.)  

What did I do to get around this problem the best I could?  I use
NNANSI
as my ANSI driver.  It correctly looks in the BIOS for the current
screen size.  It will even allow you to set certain sizes via ANSI
screen codes.  I also downloaded an EGA screen package from SIMTEL20
called ANSI-432.ARC.  It contains a MORE.COM which also checks the
BIOS for the number of lines on the screen.  It is a replacement for
the MORE.COM which comes with DOS.  It should work with any 100%
compatible BIOS.

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Kevin J. Cummings                       Prime Computer Inc.
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