Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!uvm-gen!pegram
From: pegram@uvm-gen.UUCP (pegram r)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: FORMDIAL.PRG
Message-ID: <1392@uvm-gen.UUCP>
Date: 14 Feb 90 17:12:41 GMT
References: <1990Feb3.070418.13493@gumby.cc.wmich.edu>
Sender: nobody@uvm-gen.UUCP
Organization: EMBA Computer Facility, Univ. of Vermont, Burlington.
Lines: 31

From article <1990Feb3.070418.13493@gumby.cc.wmich.edu>, by obryan@gumby.cc.wmich.edu (Mark O'Bryan):

Useful explanation deleted here (saying that formdial saves the screen
behind a dialog box, eliminating slow redraws when dialog box is removed).

> Most programs work OK with FormDial, but some don't and will hang, probably
					   ^^^^^^^^^^^

UIS III also eliminates screen redraws when it disappears using the
same idea.  However, the feature is optional because - as the manual
points out - some programs are written badly and *depend* upon the
call to redraw the screen to realize that the "dialog" is over.  Time
Works Publisher ST is mentioned specifically, and some others that I
forget.  I expect that this is the bug that hangs programs with
formdial.  If this is what you meant by not balancing calls, it wasn't
very clear.  

On a related note, what *is* the proper procedure in calling and
returning from dialogs - one that doesn't check for a screen redraw?

> because they got sloppy and don't balance their calls to formdial properly
> (just my guess).  Whether it's worthwhile for you will depend on how tight
> memory space is, and if you ever run ill-behaved programs that cause it
> to hang.
> 
> -- 
> Mark T. O'Bryan                 Internet:  obryan@gumby.cc.wmich.edu
> Western Michigan University
> Kalamazoo, MI  49008

Bob Pegram (pegram@griffin.uvm.edu) Univ. of Vt. Burlington, VT.