Tech Arsenal 1

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Tech Arsenal 1 / Tech Arsenal (Arsenal Computer).ISO / tek-04 / pplite.zip / ANSWERS.DOC < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1991-03-25 | 23KB | 532 lines

P R O G R A M M E R ' S P R O D U C T I V I T Y P A C K --------------------------------------------------------------- * L I T E * --------------- Version 1.01 -------------- A N S W E R S . D O C ----------------------- Copyright (c) 1988-1991 by Falk Data Systems. All rights reserved. Last updated: March, 1991 ----------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction .................................................. 1 Customizing Questions ......................................... 2 EMS/XMS Memory Questions ...................................... 2 Disk Cache Questions .......................................... 3 Hot Key Questions ............................................. 3 Miscellaneous Questions ....................................... 4 Sidekick Questions ............................................ 7 Video Display Questions ....................................... 7 Mouse Questions ............................................... 9 Conclusion .................................................... 9 INTRODUCTION: ------------- Welcome to the ANSWERS.DOC text file. The purpose of this text file is to answer the most commonly asked questions regarding the use of The Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite. The information provided here is also present in the ProLite User's Guide. This file presents information in the form of questions and answers, designed to enable you to quickly find the answers to any questions that may arise. Please read the ProLite User's Guide and this text file before requesting Technical Support. The answers to most questions you have may be found in these two sources. Of course, if you have any questions that are not answered in the ProLite User's Guide or this text file then please contact us for Technical Support. Common Questions & Answers Page 1 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - We will be glad to assist you in any way we can. Complete instructions for obtaining Technical Support may be found in the User's Guide. Thank you for using ProLite. Note: The term "ProLite" is used interchangeably with "Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite." While ProLite is the name of the main program file, it is usually used to refer to the Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite in general, including ProLite and PCustom. CUSTOMIZING QUESTIONS: ---------------------- What's the difference between changes made with PCustom and changes made on the fly? When you make changes "on the fly" the changes are made in memory only. So when you turn off or reboot your computer, or when you unload ProLite from memory, any changes made "on the fly" are lost. PCustom writes the changes to disk (inside the PROLITE.CFG file). This means that changes made with PCustom are "permanent." By permanent, we mean permanent until you change them again later. I have an old IBM laptop computer with the old style LCD screen. It is monochrome only (not gray scale) and it does not have the ability to display underlined or intense attributes. It is really hard to see the options on the PCustom menu for customizing colors. How can I tell what I'm doing? In addition to displaying each color attribute the way it would appear on your monitor, you can also look at the top of the color pick window and see the hexadecimal value of the currently selected color attribute. If you use only the values 07 hex (white on black) and 70 hex (black on white - reverse) then you will be able to easily see all of the screens on your old style IBM LCD screen. EMS/XMS MEMORY QUESTIONS: ------------------------- I don't want ProLite to use EMS memory because I'm going to be using it for something else. What should I do? Use PCustom to tell ProLite NOT to use EMS memory, even if it is available. This can be done through PCustom's "Advanced Options" menu. Common Questions & Answers Page 2 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - I have plenty of extended memory, but ProLite refuses to use it. Why? ProLite can only swap to extended memory that complies with the Extended Memory Specification (XMS). Simulated extended memory, or non-XMS extended memory cannot be used. Is there any way to reduce the amount of disk space or XMS memory used by ProLite for swapping purposes? Yes. PCustom provides an option under "Advanced Options"/"Swap Control"/"Swap Tuning" which allows you to determine which is more important to you - speed or conserving space. DISK CACHE QUESTIONS: --------------------- I use Super PC-Kwik (disk caching software) and sometimes I have problems when ProLite activates the Pop-Up DOS Shell. Is there anything I can do to fix this? Yes. PC-Kwik causes problems for many programs which use EMS memory. There are several things you must keep in mind in order to avoid conflicts between PC-Kwik and ProLite. 1) Always load PC-Kwik BEFORE loading ProLite. 2) If PC-Kwik is using XMS (Extended) memory, then ProLite may swap to either XMS or EMS memory. 3) If PC-Kwik is using EMS (Expanded) memory, then ProLite MUST use either EMS memory or disk for swapping purposes. DO NOT allow ProLite to use XMS memory if PC-Kwik is using EMS memory. HOT KEY QUESTIONS: ------------------ I changed the Hot Keys on the fly and now I can't remember what I changed them to. What should I do? The two Hot Keys, for the Calculator and its attachments, and for the Pop-Up DOS Shell, are displayed on the DOS command line when you load ProLite into memory. Simply attempt to load ProLite into memory again. Since it is already loaded you will get a message telling you about it, but it will also display the Hot Keys currently in use (even if you've changed them). Common Questions & Answers Page 3 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - MAPMEM (part of the TSR Utilities - supplied with the Bonus Disk) will also show you the main hot key for a resident copy of ProLite. I have a 101/102 key enhanced keyboard and I want to set the Calculator's Hot Key to <Ctrl><Alt><F12> but it won't let me. Why not? Some key combinations work better than others as Hot Keys. On an enhanced keyboard the extra function keys (F11 and F12) do not make very reliable Hot Keys. In order to prevent unexpected problems, ProLite and PCustom will not accept any Hot Key combination that includes either F11 or F12. For more detailed information on Hot Keys please refer to the User's Guide, especially to the TIPs that deal with Hot Keys. I know that ProLite is loaded in memory, but none of the Hot Keys seem to work. Why? This usually occurs when you are in a Pop-Up DOS Shell. You can verify this by trying to load ProLite a second time with the "-U" command line option. If ProLite is currently providing a DOS Shell it will print a safety message telling you this after it attempts to unload the resident copy. MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS: ------------------------ While ProLite was loaded into memory I tried to enter some box drawing characters from the extended character set, but I couldn't do it. This is serious! I use extended characters a lot! What do I have to do in order to enter extended characters? ProLite modifies the BIOS keyboard interrupts in order to be able to recognize key combinations like <Alt><PgUp>. Because of this, entering ASCII characters is done a little differently. Instead of holding down the <Alt> key and entering the ASCII code with the numeric keypad, you will need to hold down the <Alt> key and one of the <Shift> keys. For more detailed information refer to the TIPs in the User's Guide. Common Questions & Answers Page 4 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - I use Microsoft Windows as a multitasking operating system and sometimes I have problems when ProLite attempts to activate the Pop-Up DOS Shell. Can I avoid these problems? Yes. ProLite is compatible with Windows. As mentioned in the documentation, ProLite must NOT be loaded BEFORE a multitasking operating system like DESQview, TaskView/OmniView, Windows, etc. We have had reports of ProLite successfully working when loaded before Windows 3.0 when Windows is in Real (8086) or Standard (80286) Modes. While it may be possible to load ProLite before Windows, we don't recommend it. ProLite will DEFINITELY not work properly if loaded before Windows while Windows is in 386 Enhanced Mode. Please remember that you can use Windows to switch between applications and that a memory resident program is not really necessary. You can start ProLite with the "-S" (Stand-Alone mode) command line parameter. This will cause ProLite to run as any standard program (not memory resident). I really don't like memory-resident programs, but I use ProLite because it's the only program that has all the features I need. Do you have any suggestions for someone who really dislikes memory-resident stuff? Sure. ProLite provides two methods by which it may be safely unloaded from memory whenever the need arises. You can unload ProLite from within the Calculator by pressing <Alt><U> or <Ctrl><U> twice in a row, or by typing in "ProLite -U" <Enter> at the DOS prompt. So even though ProLite is a memory-resident program, it is very easy to get it out of the way when you need memory for something else. For more specific details regarding safely unloading any memory-resident programs from memory refer to the ProLite User's Guide. Of course you can also run ProLite in stand-alone (non- resident) mode. For complete instructions please refer to the User's Guide. My computer is not 100% IBM compatible, but I still want to use ProLite. Is there anything special I need to know about? As you may know, by their very nature, memory-resident programs are more machine dependent than most other kinds of software. Because of this, memory-resident programs depend Common Questions & Answers Page 5 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - quite heavily on a specific environment. The primary compatibility issue is the built in ROM BIOS in your machine. If your machine is BIOS compatible with IBM then you should have no difficulties. Some machines, such as the old Tandy 1000, are not very IBM compatible. The Tandy 1000, for instance, has a very different keyboard than the original IBM PC or XT. Even the BIOS keyboard services are different (as you have undoubtedly noticed). This makes a difference when you run programs designed for IBM compatibles. ProLite goes to great lengths to maximize performance and ease of use on IBM compatible machines, but a side effect is that compatibility becomes a very important issue. The Keystroke Reference Center is the place that this compatibility issue will be the most noticeable in cases like the Tandy 1000 that do not have IBM compatible keyboards. In a case like this, the best thing to do is to become familiar with the differences between your keyboard and an IBM compatible keyboard, and take that into consideration as you use any programs written for IBM compatibles. When I try to load ProLite the system appears to hang, but when I press <Enter> ProLite finishes loading and works fine after that. This is rather disconcerting. Is there something I should know about? Yes, there is. You probably had PopCalc (from BellSoft) loaded when you tried to load ProLite. PopCalc does strange things to other memory resident programs. The way to get around this is to load ProLite BEFORE you load PopCalc. How do I know if ProLite is compatible with the other memory- resident programs that I use? The best way to find out how well one program works with another is to experiment. Use them together. If they get along then you're all set. If they don't get along you'll have to make adjustments for the conflict. The best thing to do when you find a memory resident program that conflicts with ProLite, is to load ProLite before you load the other program. ProLite was specifically designed to get along well with any memory-resident programs loaded after it. When I press a Hot Key, ProLite just beeps. What's the matter? There are three possible causes. Common Questions & Answers Page 6 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - First, it may not be safe for ProLite to pop up. ProLite inspects your system very closely when a Hot Key is pressed. Your best bet is to try again in a few seconds. Please consult the User's Guide for more detailed information. Second, ProLite will only pop up in an 80 column text mode. If your system is in graphics mode ProLite will not pop up. Finally, ProLite must have access to its swap file(s) when it pops up. If ProLite is swapping to disk, and you have erased, renamed, or moved the swap file(s), ProLite will simply beep and refuse to pop up. SIDEKICK QUESTIONS: ------------------- I use Sidekick from Borland International. Is there anything special I need to know to use ProLite with Sidekick? Not really. The ProLite User's Guide includes a detailed discussion about Sidekick and the problems it can cause other memory resident programs. Refer to that for the nitty gritty details. ProLite is so compatible with Sidekick that it can even be loaded AFTER Sidekick. I use SideKick Plus, is there anything special I need to know that is different about it than the older version of Sidekick? The conflicts that arose with the older version of Sidekick have been corrected in SideKick Plus. There is no special information needed to use ProLite with SideKick Plus. VIDEO DISPLAY QUESTIONS: ------------------------ I have two video adapters and two monitors. I switch back and forth during program development and debugging. What will this do to my use of ProLite? Not a thing. ProLite is smart! It will always pop up on the current monitor. Also, when it pops up on a color monitor it will be in color, when it pops up on a monochrome monitor it will use monochrome display attributes so that it still looks good. Common Questions & Answers Page 7 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - I have a black-and-white monitor and ProLite's displays look kind of funky. How can I fix that? Black-and-white monitors are basically an inexpensive way to simulate a color monitor by using varying shades of gray. As far as any software programs are concerned, your black-and- white monitor is a color monitor. So what you need to do is modify ProLite's colors so that they look good on a black- and-white only monitor. PCustom allows you to select a display attribute set that looks good on black-and-white monitors, or even to customize each attribute individually. PCustom itself can be told to use black-and-white attributes by entering "-B" on the PCustom command line. More specific information is covered in the ProLite User's Guide. Are any particular video modes inappropriate for use with ProLite? Because ProLite was designed as a memory-resident program there was no way to foresee every possible situation and environment in which it would be popped up. Because of this, certain design decisions had to be made. In making these decisions care was taken to ensure that not only would ProLite be useful in a wide variety of situations and environments but also that it would not require an excessive amount of memory to do it. ProLite was designed to work in text modes only, not in graphics mode. Graphics displays require a lot more memory in order to store the contents of the screen before popping a window up over something else. Additionally, with all the differences in hardware, ProLite would have to be significantly larger just to deal with each graphics adapter and monitor combination. So you must be in a text mode in order to pop up ProLite. If you are in graphics mode ProLite will beep when a Hot Key is pressed, but it will not pop up. Another consideration is video modes that display 120 or 132 columns at a time. This mode is rarely used, so the current version of ProLite does not support it. The last consideration is video modes that display only 40 columns of text at a time. The problem here is that ProLite's displays won't fit in 40 columns. The bottom line is that ProLite will only pop up while your system is in an 80 column text mode. Of course ProLite does support 25, 43 and 50 line text modes. Common Questions & Answers Page 8 of 9 - Programmer's Productivity Pack Lite 1.01 - ANSWERS.DOC - MOUSE QUESTIONS: ---------------- Sometimes when I return from the Pop-Up DOS Shell a mouse cursor appears when it shouldn't. What should I do? Start ProLite with the "-P" (Preserve mouse state) command line option. This will instruct ProLite to preserve and restore the state of the mouse cursor around a Pop-Up DOS Shell. CONCLUSION: ----------- Any problems or questions that arise can usually be resolved by consulting the User's Guide. If you can't find the answer there, or in this question and answer file, then please contact us for Technical Support. We'll do our best to help you. Please be sure to have your ProLite serial number handy when you call. Thanks for your support! We hope you enjoy your new Productivity Pack Lite package. Happy Lite ProPak'n! Common Questions & Answers Page 9 of 9