Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!ucsd!ucsbcsl!dougp@sbphy.ucsb.edu
From: dougp@sbphy.ucsb.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: "modular" programs
Message-ID: <1188@hub.ucsb.edu>
Date: 8 Feb 89 04:06:14 GMT
Sender: news@hub.ucsb.edu
Organization: UC, Santa Barbara. Physics Computer Services
Lines: 22

In article <802@csd4.milw.wisc.edu>, duncan@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Shan D Duncan) writes...

>Given the state of software to this date how difficult would it be to
>design a "modular" type of terminal software?  Forgive me for the use

This would be an ideal use for an overlay linker in which only certain
parts of the code is loaded at any time. This way there could be
overlays for the verious terminal emulators, and overlays for the
verious transfer protocalls.  This in no way reduces the size of the
program on disk, but it greatly reduces the memory used when the program
is run. The biggest advantage is that no customizing would be necessary,
just select the terminal emulator you want and the code is automaticly
loaded.

Unfortunatly, I have not yet seen a C compiler which claims to have
this feature working. I do remember seeing documentation about
this feature in the Manx manual, but that was for a different computer.
I have however seen commands in the verious Amiga reference manuals
which would allow this to be done, but it would not be transparant
like an overlay linker.

                                      Douglas Peale