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README.WIN
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1993-12-10
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INFORMATION ABOUT XLISP 2.1F, MICROSOFT WINDOWS VERSION
GENERAL INFORMATION
XLISPWIN, XLISP 2.1F for Windows, is intended to be a Windows
version of the MSDOS program, and therefore has the same
general feel. Some aspects of its use do not match typical
Windows applications, and XLISPWIN applications do not have
any access to the Windows API. I will leave that to future
developers.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Microsoft Windows version 3.1. The executable provided also
requires an 80386, however "enhanced" mode of operation is
not required. XLISPWIN is memory efficient, however memory
requirements are a function of your application. XLISPWIN will
use as much memory as it need for the application.
The font utilized will virtually require the use of an
800x600 pixel display or larger ("Super-VGA"). 640x480 is
slightly too small. To adjust the font size, see the last
section in this file.
BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS
XLISPWIN has been tested with Borland C++, Version 3.1. Other
compilers will probably require changes. Future versions of
Windows or Windows NT native versions will almost certainly
require changes. Particularly watch out for the MALLOC and
FREE macros defined in xlisp.h. The dldmem/dlimage memory
management option must be used. The winstuff.c file contains
most of the system changes, but if you want to make
alterations, you need to study xlisp.h as well. The files
xlispwin.def, xlispwin.rc, xlispwin.ico, xlispwin.h and
makewin are used for this version.
IMPLEMENTATION FEATURES
XLISPWIN has been designed to be "Windows friendly." In that
regard, it:
* regularly yields control to other Windows processes
* does not use processor cycles when idle (waiting for input)
* closes all files when idle
* allocates memory in ~64k chunks to preserve memory handles
XLISPWIN can be compiled for either the ASCII8 (IBM-PC ASCII)
or ANSI character sets, with the distribution default being
ANSI. For full source file compatibility with the DOS
versions, the ASCII8 version might be preferred. This only
affects the high-bit set characters.
MISSING FEATURES (COMPARED TO MS-DOS VERSION)
While all command line arguments function, standard input and
output cannot be redirected from the command line. But then
it is difficult to access the Windows "command line" anyway!
However a default set of command line arguments can be
specified in XLISPWIN.INI.
All the keyboard and display functions match those of the DOS
version. The display size cannot be changed while running,
which disallows full-screen operation. The display size can
be changed via a XLISPWIN.INI file.
The system function returns immediately, spawning a separate
application window. Both Windows and DOS applications can be
launched, and the program filename extension must be specified.
ADDED FEATURES TO THE USER INTERFACE
Unlike the DOS version, the color changing applies to text.
The COLOR function takes 1, 3, or 6 integer arguments, with
the one argument version being like the MS-DOS version,
however the bit positions 256, 64, 32, 16 (notice the gap
for the intensity bit so it doesn't overlap with XOR)
specify the background text color, which is also the screen
clearing color. This means that "compatible" programs will
end up using a black background. Compatible programs should
also set (color 15) before writing text. The exclusive or bit
(128) sets exclusive or mode, just like the MS-DOS version.
When three arguments are specified, the represent the red, green,
and blue intensity levels, respectively, in a range of 0-255.
Add a red value 256 to get xor mode (like in the one arg case).
When six arguments are provided, the last three set the
background color. XLISP-PLUS does not realize palettes so
is limited to 16 colors. Feel free to change the source if this
is important to you! The MODE command is ignored, but (like
the DOS version) returns the display size in characters and
the maximum pixel coordinates).
The cursor ("caret") shows matching parenthesis and quotes.
The mouse cursor changes shape to hourglass or garbage bag
(for garbage collection) while executing. This doesn't work
as smoothly as I had hoped. Don't tell me about it unless you
can offer a solution.
The "Drag and Drop" feature of the File Manager is supported.
Popup dialog boxes are used for fatal errors and for the
control-T activated status report.
Exiting via the Files menu or system menu (or ALT-F4) will
cause a prompt allowing saving the workspace before leaving.
The (EXIT) function will bypass this prompt. Control-Z will
no longer cause the program to exit, and now behaves like a
silent version of control-G.
Files menu: allows menu activiation of LOAD, RESTORE, SAVE,
DRIBBLE, and EXIT commands. The standard dialog boxes are
used for the file accessing commands. The last file LOADed
via the menu is remembered, as is the last file DRIBBLEd by
the menu, or the last workspace saved or restored by any
means. The EXIT command can be executed at any time, while
the other commands can only be executed when XLISPWIN is
waiting for input -- this is to protect against mysterious
interactions since there is only a single execution thread.
The SAVE and DRIBBLE commands preserve line currently being
edited, while the LOAD and RESTORE commands delete the
current line (figuring you won't what anything typed).
Edit menu: The copy command copies a rectangular region to
the clipboard, and pastes at the cursor position. That means
it works effectively like the the commands do in a DOS
window, however they are activated with the typical Windows
keystrokes. Drag with the left mouse button to select the
region. Hitting any key (without doing the copy) will delete
the region.
Run menu: Allow menu operation of the keyboard control-B, -T,
-G, -C, and -P commands. Inappropriate commands are grayed
out.
Help menu: There is no additional help, but there is an
"About" selection.
XLISPWIN.INI
A file of this name can be placed in the Windows directory to
control the font, number of lines, and other characteristics.
Only fixed width fonts (such as "Courier New", "Fixedsys", or
"Lucinda Sans Typewriter" (from the Microsoft Truetype Font
Pack I)) should be used for best results. Font sizes should
be in the 10-20 point range. The Fixedsys font cannot be
scaled. You can also specify the number of lines. When the
OEM (PC-8) character set is selected, only the number of
lines can be changed. In addition the leading between the
lines can be adjusted via a "Leading" entry. This may be
desirable for fonts other than FixedSys which seem to insert
too much leading. The default leading is what Windows
suggests for the font, and negative values are allowed.
The entry "Arglist" can be used to specify a default argument
list to, for instance, load a certain workspace file. When missing,
the actual argument list is used.
The entry "FilePath" specifies an an alterative search path to
the environment variable XLPATH. The path should be specified in
quotes so the semicolon separators are not take as the start of
the comments. When this entry is missing, the environment variable
is used. This allow specifying a different path for the Windows
version.
The default file contents are:
[Display]
FilePath="[the contents of the XLPATH environment variable]"
Arglist="[the command line arguments]"
Lines=25
Font="Fixedsys"
FontSize=16
I happen to like:
[Display]
FontSize=14
Lines=30
Font="Courier New Bold"
Leading=-4