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1990-07-03
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ID:AP Starting DESQview Under API
DESQview API Technical Note
by Stan Young
Starting DESQview Under API Program Control
Many API programs are designed to run in much the same as any
off-the-shelf program in the DESQview environment. That is, the
user simply selects the program from the Open Window menu, it
opens and once running can begin to control and take advantage of
DESQview.
Creating an "auto-start" macro for DESQview can allow the program
to be brought up automatically on the start of DESQview. The
"auto-start" macro is described in the DESQview users manual
(page 89 in the Version 2 manual). The auto-start macro can be
used to start either API or standard applications automatically
when starting DESQview.
An auto-start macro is generally a good starting method where
you want to make sure your API program is run, but want to make
most of the features of DESQview available to your users. The
default for starting using this method is that all of the
standard menu items of DESQview are enabled. Your API program
has to specifically disable them after starting up if you
do not want all of the menu selections available.
However, sometimes API developers will want their programs to
control the system more fully. To accomplish this, you can start
DESQview as follows:
DV {program information filename}
An example of a program started in this fashion is on every users
DESQview disk in the SETUP.BAT file. It reads as follows:
DV SETUP.DVP {additional parameters}
The additional parameters listed in SETUP.BAT are specific to
DESQview operation, and would not normally become a part of your
API program startup (/OK assumes "non-enhanced keyboard", /NS
means don't read the setup file, use defaults).
Run the DESQview Setup and you will get an idea of the defaults
under which API programs started from the command line are run:
1. After display of the DESQview copyright screen, the
application listed in the DVP file is automatically run.
2. All access to the DESQview menu is disabled. DESQview
macros, including the auto-start macro for the window are
enabled if present, but access to the Learn menu is not
available.
3. Terminating the application terminates DESQview and
drops you out to the DOS prompt.
Obviously, the DESQview Setup program is a limited,
single-tasking environment, but it demonstrates that an API
program program started from the command line is firmly in
control. Once started, the API program can start additional
tasks (NEW or NEWPROC in assembler, app_new or app_start in C or
Pascal), and selectively enable the features of DESQview (Manager
streams 00 to 3F in Assembler, or win_allow function in C or
Pascal).
The only feature which cannot be enabled is the Open Window item.
When an API program is started from the command line, the
DESQVIEW.DVO file, which contains the Open Window menu
information, is not read into memory and the Open Window option
will not be available. Your API program could of course produce
its own "front end" menu of programs to open if you like. If you
want to allow users to have access to the Open Window menu, you
would want to start up using the auto-start macro.
Copyright (C) 1990 by Quarterdeck Office Systems
* * * E N D O F F I L E * * *