Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!spool.mu.edu!agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!nosc!cod!healy
From: healy@cod.NOSC.MIL (Mike Healy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: requirements to use VDI
Keywords: VDI ttp appl_init
Message-ID: <3149@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Date: 21 Jun 91 15:36:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: cod.3149
References: <1991Jun19.112606.20682@convex.com> <1991Jun19.161901.1808@informatik.uni-erlangen.de> <1991Jun20.124043.8248@imada.ou.dk>
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Lines: 30

In article <1991Jun20.124043.8248@imada.ou.dk> micro@imada.ou.dk (Klaus Pedersen) writes:
>csbrod@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Claus Brod) writes:
>>There are good reasons why TTP programs are meant as non-GEM programs.
>>You shouldn't use VDI or AES calls in a TTP program.
>
>Can you give me some of these good reasons? - and why not?
>The VDI is allways running, isn't it? You can use the VDI from the AUTO folder 
>- before GEM have been installed or more correctly the AES.
>
>There are many programs use form_alert(), without an appl_init(), and that is
>worse isn't it? 
>(because the global array and probaly other structures too haven't been init'd).
>
>Klaus, micro@imada.ou.dk

I can give you one good reason I determined empirically. A while back I
posted a plea for help because a program would run fine from the Laser C
shell, but evnt_multi calls would not respond to the mouse, even though
they caught keyboard activity. It turned out that the program would also
run fine under gulam. But not the desktop. This program was a .ttp that
called appl_init and used vdi calls. I renamed it to .prg and voila!,
it now runs ok from the desktop. The mouse is now caught by evnt_multi.

Since my program is a port from unix and wants a parameter string, I
think I'll just create a .ttp front end to pick up the parameters and
shel_write them, then Pexec the .prg . Is there a better way?

Mike Healy

healy@cod.nosc.mil