Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!portal!atari!apratt
From: apratt@atari.UUCP (Allan Pratt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: accessory and RAM resident stuff
Message-ID: <1021@atari.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 88 21:25:16 GMT
References: <8803190107.AA03238@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 23

From article <8803190107.AA03238@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, 
by UUCJEFF@ECNCDC.BITNET:

> For instance, [in an accessory] I would like to be able to use string
> writing functions in which you can do a newline and the text will scroll
> up without having to rewrite each line.  That pretty much precludes the
> use of windows, which seems to be the structural backbone of desk
> accessories. 

You can do it -- but you have to take over the screen.  The VT52 emulator
is a perfectly legal desk accessory.  When you open it, it clears the
screen and uses the alpha text output functions of the BIOS.  When you
hit UNDO to leave it, it clears the screen again and sends the desktop
a redraw message so it'll all get redrawn.  (At least, that's what I
*think* it does.)

As long as you don't do any event calls, your accessory will be the
only process running.  All the processor sharing in the AES between
the DA's and the mainline task are done through the event manager.

============================================
Opinions expressed above do not necessarily	-- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else.	  ...ames!atari!apratt