Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bbn!gatech!codas!karthur
From: karthur@codas.att.com (Kurt_R_Arthur)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Window Packages
Message-ID: <1457@codas.att.com>
Date: 24 Dec 87 16:33:32 GMT
References: <1987Dec22.213740.2447@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu>
Organization: AT&T, Altamonte Springs, FL
Lines: 26

In article <1987Dec22.213740.2447@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> parora@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Pavneet Arora) writes:
> 
> I am interested in getting any information about existing window packages
> out there for the PC...

I have little exposure to any of the listed windows packages, but I do suggest
you code the windows yourself - they are relatively trivial and you don't have
to pay royalties, or worry about your compiler/assembler supporting the
libraries, or having an external file to distribute with your program.  

The basic algorithm:
	1.  Determine adapter type (MDA, CGA, EGA, VGA, Hercules, etc)
	    This tells you where in memory the display is (B000 for MDA,
	    B8000 for the others).
	2.  Allocate memory off the heap to copy the display to.
	3.  Make your changes to the display (pop up a window).
	4.  Restore the video image from the heap.
	5.  For overlayed images, just put the screen into a linked list.
 
The last 2 issues (November/December) issues of Dr. Dobb's Journal contain a
pair of articles about adding a graphics library to Turbo C: source is pub-
lished, so you can adapt as necessary.


Kurt Arthur
Software Services of Florida.