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Text File | 1988-08-12 | 18.0 KB | 525 lines

DMSCOLOR A color set utility for Clipper S'87 v.1.00 Bob Laszko August 10, 1988 Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems All rights reserved INTRODUCTION DMSCOLOR is the end result of our need for a classy, easy to use color setting utility for Clipper. The basic design concept is: 1. Choose from a given set of standard application screens. 2. Display the screen in miniature and highlight the various areas designated as colorable. 3. Display a palette of available foreground/background or foreground only colors and allow painless testing of all color combinations. 4. Return a Clipper compatible SET COLOR TO string based on the color selections. We feel that we have met these specifications - in fact we felt them good enough to share with other Clipper developers. In it's current distributed form, DMSCOLOR consists of the color selection utility (DMSCOLOR.EXE), various support *.MEM files, and a utility to allow changes to the default color settings (SETDEF.OBJ). LEGAL, RIGHTS, & OTHER STUFF DMSCOLOR, as distributed in it's present form, is a shareware product. It is not released into the public domain. Data Management Systems reserves all rights to DMSCOLOR as provided by US Copyright laws. You may use DMSCOLOR in your applications, both personal and commercial, without royalty obligations. Although a great deal of time and effort have been spent designing, coding and debugging this utility, it cannot be certain that it is totally error free. It should be clearly understood that DMSCOLOR is released "as is". Data Management Systems makes no warranties, expressed nor implied, of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Data Management Systems be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages, real or imagined. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 1 - RUNNING DMSCOLOR Shown below is main menu for DMSCOLOR: ╔════════════════════════════════════════╦═════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ Data Management Systems ║ Current Period 08/12/88 - 08/12/88 ║ ╠═══════════════════════════╤════════════╩═══════╤═════════════════════════════╣ ║ │ CONFIGURE COLORS │ ║ ║ └────────────────────┘ ║ ║ ║ ║ 1.. Menus ║ ║ 2.. Entry Screens ║ ║ 3.. Scans ║ ║ 4.. Adds ║ ║ ║ ║ 5.. Cancel All Color Changes ║ ║ 6.. Restore All Default Colors ║ ║ ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ Press Desired Option Key # ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Options 1 - 4 will take you to actual color set screens. These are the four basic types of screens that we use in our applications: 1.. Menus - you are looking at one now 2.. Entry Screens - basically the same layout as a menu; data entry completed here 3.. Scans - on-screen lookup tables 4.. Adds - when a required item is not on file (ie.. a customer), we allow the item to be added immediately as opposed to quitting the current option and running a maintenance routine. Option 5, Cancel All Color Changes, will negate color changes made to all four screens, during the current session. Option 6, Restore All Default Colors, will re-install the "factory set" colors to all four screens. To quit the program, press ENTER or ESC. We have tried to make this utility as self-explanatory as possible. Here are a few tips: 1. The current option is always shown in the upper left of the screen. 2. Instructions, as needed, are always found in the lower part of the screen. 3. Play with it. Instead of cluttering a screen with a myriad of directions (which you don't need after you get a feel for the program), screens are clean and actions required are (hopefully) self-evident. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 2 - USING DMSCOLOR FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS First of all, you have to love our default screens. They represent our Standard Toolbox for applications. If you can stomach this, use the following memvars, found in XXXDATA.MEM M_CFR menu FRame color M_CHEAD menu HEADer color M_CMT Menu Title color M_CTEXT menu TEXT color M_CINS menu INStruction color M_COLDGET OLD GET color (unselected) M_CCURGET CURrent GET color (selected) M_CSCANFR SCAN FRame color M_CSCANTIT SCAN TITle color M_CSCANTXT SCAN TeXT color M_CSCANHI SCAN HIghlight color M_CSCANINS SCAN INStruction color M_CADDFR ADD FRame color M_CADDTIT ADD TITle color M_CADDTXT ADD TeXT color M_CADDOG ADD Old Get color (unselected) M_CADDCG ADD Current Get color (selected) M_CADDINS ADD INStruction color M_CDFT DeFaulT color: M_CTEXT + M_CCURGET + M_COLDGET M_CSCANDFT SCAN DeFaulT color: M_CSCANTXT + M_CCURGET + M_COLDGET M_CADDDFT ADD DeFaulT color: M_CADDTXT + M_CADDCG + M_ADDOG M_ACTPERFR ACTive PERiod FRom - date memvar M_ACTPERTO ACTive PERiod TO - date memvar M_COMPANY COMPANY name - character, length = 30 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 3 - Following are the four color change screens used in DMSCOLOR, with the memvars from XXXDATA.MEM identified: ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ M_CHEAD ───────> Company Name ║ ╠═══════════╤══════════════╤═══════════╣ M_CMT ─────────────────────> MENU TITLE │ ║ ║ └──────────────┘ ║ M_CFR ────────>║ ║ ║ 1.. Option ║ M_CTEXT ──────────────────> 2.. Option ║ ║ ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════╣ M_CINS ──────────────────> Instruction Area ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ M_CHEAD ───────> Option Name ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ ║ M_CTEXT ───────> Field Title Previous Field Response <──── M_COLDGET ║ Field Title Current Field Response <──── M_CCURGET M_CFR ────────>║ Field Title Next Field Response <──── M_COLDGET ║ ║ ║ ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════╣ M_CINS ──────────────────> Instruction Area ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ M_CHEAD ───────> Option Name ║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════╣ M_CSCANTIT ──────────────────────> Scan Title ]──────┐║ ║ │ Scan Information │║ M_CSCANHI ─────────────────────>█Scan Information████│║ ║ │ Scan Information │║ M_CSCANTXT ────────────────────> Scan Information │║ M_CSCANFR ────────────────────>└─────────────────────┘║ M_CSCANFR ────>┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ M_CSCANINS ──────────────> Instruction Area │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘ ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗ M_CHEAD ───────> Option Name ║ M_CFR ────────>╠══════════════════════════════════════╣ M_CADDTIT ────────> Add Title ]──────────────────────┐║ ║│ │║ M_CADDTXT ──────> Field Title Previous Response <───────── M_CADDOG ║│ Field Title Current Response <───────── M_CADDCG ║│ Field Title Next Response <───────── M_CADDOG M_CADDFR ──────>└────────────────────────────────────┘║ M_CADDFR ─────>┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ M_CADDINS ───────────────> Instruction Area │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘ ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 4 - As you can see, some memvars are used in more than one screen (ie.. M_CFR). In these instances any change in one screen is reflected in all others. Using the memvars shown on the previous page, three default memvars are created: M_CDFT, M_CSCANDFT, M_CADDDFT. These are complete SET COLOR TO strings representing the standard,enhanced,,,unselected color settings. Having access to each "component" color setting along with the default color strings gives you complete control over your screens. CREATING NEW DEFAULT COLORS The default colors represent what we feel are the most aesthetically appealing screens. Everybody naturally has their own opinion or this program would have no use in the first place. Follow these steps if you wish to create your own default colors: 1. Make a backup copy of the file DEFCOLOR.MEM. 2. Run DMSCOLOR and set the colors of your choice 3. Link the file SETDEF.OBJ: with PLINK86 - PLINK86 FILE SETDEF with TLINK - TLINK SETDEF,,,CLIPPER 4. Run SETDEF A new DEFCOLOR.MEM file will be created, using your new color preferences. NOTICE: CLIPPER EXTENDED VIDEO ROUTINES The first version (alpha) of DMSCOLOR utilized a popular technique of changing the attribute byte in video memory to display new colors. This was certainly faster than re-writing the screen through Clipper's @...SAY command, but I wanted something faster..... Speed came through the idea of saving a portion of the screen with SAVESCREEN(), changing the attribute bytes within the scrn_memvar, then using RESTSCREEN() to pop the changes onto the screen. Why is this faster ?? I'm going to hazard a guess and say that moving a byte from place to place within standard RAM is much faster than moving a byte from standard RAM to the RAM on a video card. Of course SAVESCREEN() / RESTSCREEN() eventually moves the bytes to video RAM, but it seems to be done in one motion and is very fast. Comparison tests showed this new method to be twice as fast, whether running on an AST/386 with a Paradise VGA Plus card or a standard IBM XT with a monochrome card Should you decide to register DMSCOLOR you will receive the ASM & OBJ files for manipulating the attribute bytes of a SAVESCREEN() memvar, writing attribute bytes directly to the video card, and writing only the character byte (no attribute) to the video card. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 5 - REGISTRATION We have met all internal needs for a color set utility with the current release of DMSCOLOR. It's distribution into the shareware arena is primarily designed to stimulate feedback and further the art of color set routines. However, being a commercial entity, we have decided to make the following available to registered users: 1. Complete, documented source code (*.PRG, *.ASM) for DMSCOLOR, SETDEF and all the utility programs that make it all come together. 2. Comprehensive documentation breaking down the source code into its various components, showing the logic behind the programs and tips to customization for your needs. 3. Unlimited voice & BBS support. 4. Tips & suggestions for using color more effectively with Clipper. The registration fee is $30 US funds. Checks can be made payable to Data Management Systems. Plans are in the mill to create a self-supporting color set utility centered around DMSCOLOR. Features include: 1. Creation of customized screens (screen painter). 2. Custom definition of colorable areas within the screens. 3. Generation of source code based on 1 & 2 above. While the plans have been drawn up, coding has not yet begun. Creation of this utility will depend upon registration activity. If you like what you see, register it and encourage the development of this new utility. Registered users will be allowed an upgrade at a nominal fee. DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ?? We are a custom software house located in Fallbrook, California. Founded in 1983, our primary vehicle of developement is Clipper. We also provide consulting, training, data processing, hardware & software resale, and preventive maintenance. Please send any comments, suggestions, gripes, and of course registrations to: Bob Laszko Data Management Systems PO Box 3104 Fallbrook, Ca 92028 (619) 728-0984 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 6 - BBS support is provided via The File Bank's Clipper Support Conference. This is one of the premier BBS's in Southern California with something of interest from the novice to the guru !! It is owned and operated by Bob Laszko (this author's father). You can reach The File Bank at (619) 728-4318. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DMSCOLOR Copyright 1988 Data Management Systems - 7 -