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JCSM Shareware Collection 1993 November
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JCSM Shareware Collection - 1993-11.iso
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cl700
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prowinqj.lzh
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QUESTION.DOC
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1992-11-15
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====== COMMON QUESTIONS BY ProWindows(tm) USERS ======
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: When using the graphical mouse cursor, the mouse cursor
in the QB or QBX editor looks funny. And when appearing
over some characters, there is a single pixel line at
the right of the mouse cursor. Why?
ANSWER: 1. To display the graphical mouse cursor, the mouse
driver is tricked into thinking it is in a graphics
mode. Since the ProWindows(tm) code that keeps the
mouse working right is not active when the program is
not running, the mouse acts strange.
For this reason, we recommend that you do not use the
graphics mouse cursor during program development. When
you are ready to create the EXE file, then insert the
graphics mouse module.
2. Because of the way VGA cards operate, some
characters are 8 pixels wide and some are 9 pixels wide.
The mouse driver can't handle both. The only time you
will see this line is when the cursor is over characters
in the range of ASCII 176-178. THIS IS INHERENT TO VGA
CARDS ONLY AND DOES NOT AFFECT EGA CARDS.
When your program is finished running, you should call
the function ResetVideo() to re-map the characters to
thier original state.
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: Why does my program quit and print a "REGISTRATION
ENCOURAGEMENT" error message?
ANSWER: Then the version you have is our ShareWare version. The
ShareWare version works just like the registered version
with the exception that you must call the Notice()
routine within 60 seconds of calling the InitPro()
routine.
The Notice() routine displays a message reminding you of
your obligation to register and pay for your copy if you
decide to use it on a regular basis.
NOTE: When you register, we will send you a disk that does not
require the use of the Notice() routine. Because of
this, the library is smaller and generates smaller EXE
files.
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: When I try to run my program in the BASIC environment, I
get a "SUBPROGRAM NOT DEFINED" message. Why?
ANSWER: In order to use an external (non BASIC) function, you
must load them into BASIC. This is done from the
command line by entering (for our demos) :
QB /AH /L lite.qlb (for QuickBASIC)
QBX /AH /EA /L lite.qlb (for BASIC PDS 7)
To be sure that you do not pass invalid parameters to a
function, you must include the appropriate INCLUDE (.BI)
file(s) in your BASIC source code. To use ProWindows
LITE functions, you would use:
REM $INCLUDE : 'lite.bi'
If it still does not work, go to the "Set Paths" under
the "Options" menu in the QB.EXE (or QBX.EXE) and make
sure that the "Include Path" points to the drive and
directory where the ProWindows (.BI) files are.
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: My programs are getting larger and i'm quickly running
out of memory. What do I do?
ANSWER: ProWindows(tm) by default uses normal DOS memory to
allocate it's video buffer. This can easily consume up
to 64K of memory.
FEAR NOT! "WMM.EXE" may be the solution. The external
"Window Memory Manager" attempts to convert other memory
resources into video buffer memory. WMM.EXE can convert
expanded (EMS) or extended (XMS). When used with
"LOADHIGH" (DOS 5), "LOADHI" (QEMM), or similar utility,
"upper memory" can also be converted. This utility is
included FREE with ProWindows(tm).
SEE ALSO WMM.DOC
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: Why does the mouse cursor disappear when I print text to
a window or the screen?
ANSWER: Unlike BASIC's built-in PRINT statements (which use BIOS
calls, ProWindows print statements (which write directly
to video RAM) are not aware of the mouse. When printing
text to a window, you should disable the mouse cursor,
print the text, and then re-enable it. Try:
MouseCursorOff
' text printing function
MouseCursorOn
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: Is it true that you met Elvis during the time you were
being held captive by group of aliens from the planet
Kaplutis?
ANSWER: No, he was just an impersonator.
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: What do I do when LINK.EXE tells me I have "TOO MANY
SEGMENTS"?
ANSWER: Cry. Just kidding! LINK defaults to 128 segments. The
following example shows you how to increase the segments
to 256 (but you can use higher or lower numbers):
LINK /SE:256
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: What can I do to make my EXE files smaller?
ANSWER: The size of an EXE file is not necessarily related to
how much memory the program will use. A good portion of
the EXE file contains the "header" and "relocation
table". The parts are NOT part of the program and are
NOT loaded. They are just there to tell DOS how to load
the program.
When compiling from DOS, be sure to specify the '/EX'
command when using LINK.EXE. This reduces the file size
by about 30%.
When you register your copy of ProWindows(tm), we will
include a free copy of two programs that will further
reduce the size of an EXE file by about 50% (average).
We are constantly making our libraries smaller and
smaller. As a registered user, you are entitled to FREE
updates of the latest libraries (does not include major
upgrades). In the last 2 months, we have made changes
that have netted a 35% reduction in the size of
ProWindows(tm) programs. We are not stopping there.
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: What is "Video Recycling"?
ANSWER: To maintain its high speed performance when manipulating
windows, the Window Manager requires about 8K of memory
as a "scratch pad". In standard mode, this memory is
allocated out of the VirMem%() array and conventional
memory.
With all the memory demands placed on the system by the
BASIC IDE and your programs, you want to limit the size
of your arrays by as much as possible. This is the
purpose of the VideoRecycle() routine. It forces the
Window Manager to use the unused memory of your
CGA/EGA/VGA cards and frees up about 24K of memory.
Now you can reduce the size of the VirMem%() array and
still maintain a large number of windows.
Please note that you should only use this routine during
program development. When creating a stand-alone EXE
file, you should remove the command and increase the
size of the VirMem%() array (typically to 32000).
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: I just can't seem to get anything to work. What am I
doing wrong?
ANSWER: For every complex problem, there is probably an easy
solution. If you get stuck, follow the next four steps:
1). Do not get mad or upset.
2). Take a couple of deep long breaths and relax.
3). Carefully read the file called "SUPPORT.DOC".
4). Contact DSE Technical Support in the manner
easiest for you. Remember: There is no such
thing as a "dumb question".
------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: Two cars are on a collision course on the Interstate.
Cars "A" and "B" are maintaining a constant of speed of
65 mph and 45 mph, respectively.
When the two cars are exactly 110 miles apart, a lonely
bored fly (on a caffeine binge) starts flying from car
"A" to car "B" at a steady speed of 92 mph. When the
fly reaches car "B" he zips around and heads back
towards car "A". He keeps going from car to car until
both cars collide.
How many miles did the fly travel before getting
squashed between the two colliding cars?
ANSWER:
------------------------------------------------------------------