Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!willett!dwp
From: dwp@willett.UUCP (Doug Philips)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth
Subject: Re: PYGMY Forth
Message-ID: <467.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>
Date: 14 Feb 90 02:08:10 GMT
References: <460.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>
Organization: Latest link in the ForthNet chain.  (Pgh, PA)
Lines: 32

In article <460.UUL1.3#5129@willett.UUCP>, F.SERGEANT [Frank] writes:
>  Here's a quote from screen 2102 (in ASM.DOC):
> 
>          If your routine disturbs CS, DS, BP, SP, SI, or BX
>       it must restore it.  The direction flag must be left clear.
(Blush).  I just assumed that that info should have been in TECH.DOC.

>                                        Suppose you want to do a DOS Int $21
> call that needs other registers set up than the built  in words DOS or DOS2
> provide.  For example, you might want to use  function $40 "Write to a File
> or Device" and you want to use a buffer outside of Pygmy's segment.
That's, in fact, one of the things I wanted to do.  I'm still struggling with
how to factor my end application, but so far I'm working bottom up and starting
with these kinds of words.

>   You know what must go in the various registers by consulting a reference
> book on DOS calls.  I'm looking at a Microsoft programmer's  reference manual
> for MS-DOS 2.0.  
I have 'The MS-DOS Encyclopedia' which purports to cover 1.x -> 3.x.

>  And, what's the worst that can happen if you screw it up?  Probably  just
> wiping out your hard disk.  Current backups might add to your  peace of mind,
> but Forth programmers live dangerously and crash the  system all the time.  
Whew, I feel soooo much better now!  :-)

Thanks for the info.

		-Doug

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