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Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso
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BLANKS.NEW
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1991-11-13
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Trademarked names are the property of the respective owners │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
BLANKs
-------
Copyright (c) 1988-1991 by FM de Monasterio
Licensed Material - All rights reserved
What is new in Version 4.00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Modified the upper-memory self-loading service of switch H, and the global DOS
enviroment service of switch E to be compatible with MS-DOS 5.0. Prior BLANKs
versions executed under DOS 5 are: (1) unable to self-load in the upper memory
when UMB allocation is controlled by DOS (DOS=UMB), instead of an XMS manager,
and (2) unable to create a variable in the global DOS environment when DOS 5.0
is installed in the HMA, instead of low conventional memory. Added option of a
low-memory marker during upper memory self-loading. Other minor modifications
introduced for DOS 5.0 compatibility.
What is new in Version 3.34
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Changed the blanking method for HERCULES video adapters, as the method used in
prior versions did not preserve a preexisting graphics mode upon unblanking of
the video. Since the new method is not compatible with CGA emulation, the old
method can still be used (for text mode) via switch /HM.
What is new in Version 3.33
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Optimization of 486 release. Fixed cursor error during the Help/Status display
resulting in a visible cursor (EGA only). Modified CPU model testing procedure
and streamlined the acquisition of video data.
What is new in Version 3.32
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLANKs real mode 486 release is available. Due to requests from users, switch
/H now mediates High-memory loading (previously mediated by switch /L) whereas
switch /K now mediates hot-Key services (previously mediated by switch /H); if
you use a 'BLANKS=' environment string, make sure these new switch letters are
used. Fixed bug that changed the stack during testing for CGA monochrome cards
in some systems.
What is new in Version 3.31
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The self-loading into high memory has been improved for faster processing when
dealing with the XMS-compatible manager. Users can now request a minimum high-
memory bound above which the program should install itself (if an upper-memory
block is available above the limit). This is useful to avoid high-memory areas
having either (1) very slow memory access times (which slow down both keyboard
and video activity monitoring and, thus, such activity as well) or, since fast
speed is not critically important during blanking, (2) very fast memory access
times (which can then be used by another program that could profit better from
faster times). The utility TIMEM.EXE can be used to measure access times (see
TIMEM110.ZIP or later release). Completed beta-testing of 486 version.
What is new in Version 3.30
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resident code now always include the Mouse monitoring service; despite this
change, the size of the resident has been made smaller, and its performance
has been improved. The Usage/Status and Help screens have been modified for
a less cluttered display, and point-and-click mouse support has been added.
What is new in Version 3.22
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resident was changed to permit use of self-modifying code to increase video
performance. Both resident and non-resident routines have also been improved
for a faster operation in 086, 286, and 386+ processors. Other minor changes
were also introduced.
What is new in Version 3.21
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The environment variable 'BLANKS=' can now be directly updated or created in
the DOS (master) environment by means of switch /E. Unlike the SET command,
which modifies the default environment block (whether it is the global [i.e.
that used by the initial copy of COMMAND.COM] or a local one [i.e. that used
by a secondary copy]), switch /E always modifies the global DOS environment.
This allows to modify the environment variable even when 'shelling out' from
any application, in which case the SET command would not be useful to modify
the environment block.
What is new in Version 3.20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Direct high-memory loading introduced. Switch /L allows the resident code to
be installed directly in UMB memory (i.e., at conventional memory between 640
kb and 1,024 kb [1 Mb]). This avoids not only the initial load sizing of the
program by some (386) memory managers, but also the need to have available up
to 64 kb of free high memory just to install a resident of 1 kb or less.
What is new in Version 3.18
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLANKs version for 386+ machines is now available. When possible, the 386 code
selection was based on performance measured with a software timer.
What is new in Version 3.17
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hotkey combination can now be specified directly from the command line, or
via the 'BLANKS=' environment variable, using switch /Hxn. Because of this new
capability, and conflicts encountered with some less than compatible machines,
the cloning option has been removed. Use and modification of this variable can
provide a more flexible way to change program parameters.
What is new in Version 3.16
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A cloning problem was encountered with some video systems in versions 3.13-3.15
due to assumption of full BIOS compatibility; version 3.16 solves this problem.
Modified cpu differentiation code to include 486-type chips. Implemented a gray
scale that increases uniformly with attribute value for CGA/MCGA/VGA monochrome
video systems.
What is new in Version 3.15
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In versions 3.13 and 3.14, executed in EGA systems, the cursor was not properly
hidden during some displays. COMPAQ CGA adapters now yield a 'monochrome, snow-
free' configuration. The resident component has been reduced a little by use of
self-modifying code.
What is new in Version 3.14
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several ancillary changes were introduced in both resident and nonresident code
to speed up program execution, including use of machine opcode instructions in
the resident component. When the DOS command line is empty, BLANKs searches the
DOS environment for a string named 'BLANKS=' containing configuration switches,
which are implemented if BLANKs is executed without arguments.
What is new in Version 3.13
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In versions 3.11 and 3.12, switch /D0 left the cursor at the current screen row
after resetting the contrast; version 3.13 positions the cursor at the top left
of the screen. Minor changes have been introduced in the Help/Syntax display.
What is new in Version 3.12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The resident code dealing with keyboard input has been modified for faster data
processing. The keypress unblanking the (timed or manually) blanked screen is
now removed from the keyboard buffer.
What is new in Version 3.11
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A screen border was generated upon returning from the Help/Syntax panel in some
EGAs due to the improper setting of a BIOS register. Version 3.11 corrects this
problem. (The link-triggered error was not fully corrected in version 3.10, and
was fixed in 3.11.)
What is new in Version 3.10
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Version 3.10 corrects a linker-triggered error that affected cloning in some of
the 3.00 releases, and an incorrect setting of the password when switch /W? was
selected at the time of installation. The nonresident code has been reduced in
size. The password can now be specified directly from the command line or from
a batch file; its input has been restricted to pure alphanumeric characters.
What is new in Version 3.00
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This version incorporates changes in code reorganization to increase code speed
for 286/386 machines as measured with a software timer (versions 2.70-2.90), to
update the resident code directly when installed in high-DOS memory, and in the
various display panels. VGA brightness control is now implemented by switch /D.
There are many changes in BLANKS.DOC; please read this file.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Earlier notices removed
[END]