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From: slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Sidekick vs. Microsoft C
Message-ID: <353@sesame.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 13-Oct-85 11:48:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: sesame.353
Posted: Sun Oct 13 11:48:27 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Oct-85 07:39:53 EDT
References: <962@vax2.fluke.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Lotus Development Corp
Lines: 46

> 
> <>
> 
> Does anyone know why memory resident programs such as Sidekick won't come up
> when the following program, compiled with Microsoft C (3.0), is being run?
> 
> main () {
>      char string[80];
>      while (1) {
>            puts("Enter a <CR> terminated line\n");
>            gets(string);
>      }
> }
> 
> Sidekick is loaded, the above program is executed, and then Ctrl-ALT is pressed
> to invoke Sidekick.  The computer emits 5 slow beeps, and then continues.  A
> similar version of the program, (using fgets(string,80,stdin)), compiled with
> C86 did the same thing.
> 
> Any ideas?
> -- 
> Bruce T. White
> John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
> {uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!sota

I would *guess* that what is going on has to do with the fact that many
memory resident programs will not activate themselves when a DOS call is
active.  (They will retry several times, beep (sometimes) and give up).
I suspect that a DOS call to get a char (and wait for it if not available)
is being used by the above routine, and Sidekick sees that a DOS call is
active, and not wanting to crash the system (DOS is not reentrant), beeps
and gives up. 

If you can code useing functions that get a char. only if available, you
should have a chance to get Sidekick to load.

-- 
Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus
Development Corp.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner

              {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner
                      {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner
                       talcott!sesame!slerner@harvard.ARPA