Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:14241 comp.windows.misc:355
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!denbeste
From: denbeste@bgsuvax.UUCP (William C. DenBesten)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: Multifinder - why I *don't* want real multitasking?
Message-ID: <1779@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 88 14:14:30 GMT
References: <1092@its63b.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh.
Lines: 36

From article <1092@its63b.ed.ac.uk>, by csnjr@its63b.ed.ac.uk (Nick Rothwell):
>    Here's a technical question, out of curiosity - I presume the
> MacOs's GetNextEvent (or whatever) is a "let me sleep until mouse or
> window or keyboard event" kind of call.

Almost, but not quite.  If there is nothing to do GetNextEvent returns
so that an application can do its idle stuff.  There is another call,
WaitNextEvent that will not return unless there IS something
interesting.


>                                          So: how does one extend the
> set of required events (for example: let me sleep until mouse or
> window or keyboard or character at the modem port)? Is the set of
> event types infinitely extensible? Or are there only ever going to be
> a fixed number?

The way things are currently set up, there is a limit of 15 types of
events.  The things that are reported as events are:

1,2	mouse button down or up
3,4,5	keypressed, released or autorepeated
6,8	window needs updated, highlited or unhighlited
7,10,11	disk, or other driver (such as serial) needs attention
14,15	program is being swapped in our out.
12,13	any two things that the application cares to define.

Wait next event will also return after a specified time has elapsed or
the mouse enters (leaves?) a specified region.  GetNextEvent returns
with NullEvent if there is nothing happening.

-- 
          William C. DenBesten |       denbeste@bgsu.edu
      Dept of Computer Science | CSNET denbeste%andy.bgsu.edu@relay.cs.net
Bowling Green State University | UUCP  ...!cbosgd!osu-cis!bgsuvax!denbeste
  Bowling Green, OH 43403-0214 |