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;Video routine short instruction list ======================================================================== Copyright (C) Copr. 1990 by Sidney J. Kelly All Rights Reserved. Sidney J. Kelly 150 Woodhaven Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15228 home phone 412-561-0950 (7pm to 9:30pm EST) CompuServ 70043,1656 Genie S.KELLY8 ======================================================================== The following routines are designed to do something useful to text without regard to the type of monitor actually installed. These routines are text mode primitives. In most cases that give you direct control over the hardware in a fashion that cannot be done except in assembly language. You can save the display, write characters or attributes at high speed to the display, or write to the display using DOS compatible modes to allow you to use multi-taskers or ANSI.SYS. You can change text or attributes on the display. You can adjust cursor size, turn off blinking, BLOAD help files, etc. These routines are part of a larger freeware library of QBASIC routines that is currently under construction. The full version will be released two days AFTER an OOPS version of QBASIC is released by MICROSOFT-- at which time few will want to use these routines. Why these were written: I originally wrote these routines to parrot Dick Evers window routines written exclusively in BASIC (You can see his influence in the demo program). Then an old issue of PC Magazine showed how to call MASM video routines from QBASIC, which I think is based on an earlier BYTE magazine article. Other PC Magazine routines, and the discussions about IBM Technical reference video adapter recognition routines, showed how to identify display types using just BIOS calls. Then the quest began: I began my search of back issues of PC Magazine for programming tidbits, I bought old assembly language guide books back with the earth was fresh and the IBM PC with 64kb of memory and two floppies was a wonder to behold, searched the standard databases for public domain routines; read more programming books, etc. The bibliography at the end of this document should answer your requests for additional information. The video display was selected for improvement because that is one area a user can really notice the difference between fast code and slow code. Some of these routines allow you to do things that are impossible otherwise. Other routines allow you to do something much faster and in an attractive fashion. All the routines avoid the agony of using ON ERROR GOTO traps. Programmers Assumptions: These routines are designed to work with MONO, CGA, HERC, MCGA (mostly color, though generally untested), EGA (mono or color, 25 or 43 line mode), and VGA (mono or color, 25 or 50 line mode). In a very limited way, the routines support dual displays. These routines assume that the display width is 80 columns wide, mostly because there is no known way to determine in advance if a particular user's display will support 132 column mode. Anyway that is QBASIC's assumption too. More importantly I don't own a multi sync display, and I do not access to 10 types of EGA and 50 types of VGA displays that are necessary to test everything out on. Finally, there are several shareware libraries that already have some of the ATI, Paradise, VESA and Video Seven EGA/VGA routines built in. Unfortunately, after looking at the freeware version of FRACINT (a nifty graphics time waster that draws fractals), it appears that there are about five or six different ways to switch displays into high resolution mode. Even FRACINT requires the user to select the display type. (How can I convince my wife that I need a register compatible 8514/A display and adapter for the ultimate in text mode displays??????????). It is possible to devote many hours to routines for hardware 95% of the users wont have or need in text mode. Most of the direct screen routines use macros that are hard coded for an 80 column width display. (Lengths of 25, 43, and 50 are allowed). This is done for speed in case the poor user only has a CGA on a PC clone (he needs all the speed he can get). To show how it is done, I have included a few routines that actually do use the BIOS ram data areas to determine the current display width. QBASIC Theory. Aside from the current DEF SEG setting, most of QBASIC video information storage registers are not available inside the QB.EXE environment, though it is available inside the .EXE program (which makes testing the routines way too time consuming). My routines had to come up with such information independently. My solution is store the key variables in the default data segment in QBASIC (its name in MASM is DGROUP). To save space in DGROUP, only 7 bytes of information is kept by the video routines. This allows transparent sharing of the information. The reason for such "stupid" names (B$V...) for the DGROUP variables is to only give the MASM routines access to such information, and prevent normal QBASIC routines (or someone else's library routines) from messing them up. Generally QBASIC only keeps simple variables, (INT, LONGINT, SINGLE and DOUBLE, and STRINGS) in DGROUP. Arrays and TYPE records are usually kept outside DGROUP, with only the STRING Descriptor or the undocumented Array descriptor kept in DGROUP. Thus, the library routines assume that all information passed from simple variables is information about a near (DGROUP) address. If we pass simple integers to MASM routines, and don't care to have MASM change those variables, we use BYVAL to send the information to MASM. If we want to have MASM send information back about multiple variables, we pass the address information for the variables without using BYVAL. If we use arrays, we must use a combination of BYVAL and VARSEG and VARPTR to get the information we need to manipulate the information inside the arrays. VARSEG and VARPTR are necessary because there is a very great chance that the arrays will be stored as far data (i.e. not stored in DGROUP). Text strings are sent by QBASIC as near address (relative to DS and DGROUP). The fist value in the descriptor is the length of the string. The second value is the offset address inside DGROUP. Fixed length strings are not referenced with string descriptors. For that reason, I don't allow such strings as variables in my routines. QBASIC requires that MASM preserve BP, SI, DI, DS, and keep the direction flag clear (CLD). All these routines do this. You will note that MICROSOFT'S CALL INTERRUPT routines do not save BP (apparently to give you access to some EGA VGA palette and character font selection routines in the BIOS), and thus will crash if a critical error occurs. MICROSOFT offers a replacement routine, that overcomes this error by preventing any change to BP. You should get it if you don't already have it. The choice of defining MASM routines as SUB's or FUNCTION's depends on whether you want to get information from MASM in DX:AX (the format for FUNCTIONs), or if the MASM routine either sends back no information or more than one variable (the format for SUBs). For simple one variable routines when MASM is just returning a value, use FUNCTIONs. To use such functions inside QBASIC you must either assign the value of the function to a QBASIC variable or use IF ... THEN statements (C style). For everything else use SUBS. Note due to an error in the QBASIC parser, always use the CALL keyword to call the library routines if there is any chance that you will use a colon as a separator on a line. Without the CALL keyword, the QBASIC parser assumes that the routine name followed by a colon is intended as a line label, and not as a SUB name. You must use CALL if you will use a SUB that does not need any parameters and will follow that SUB name by a colon. CGA Theory: The CGA is a slow, and sometimes snowy display. These routines deal with snow in four ways. If the CGA is good display (e.g. COMPAQ, AT&T, or ZENITH) then snow checking can be turned off automatically. If a user has a CGA display that does not display snow (one of many clones, none of which I have access to or have tested), he can use TOGGLESNOW to turn snow checking off. The routine can assume the that CGA is snowy and turn off the CGA for a instant, then turn it back on. This causes flicker, but I use when I am changing the entire display. See BLOADHELP. The last alternative is to delay writing words or bytes to the display until the display is in either vertical or horizontal retrace mode. This can be fast (1.5 times as fast as QBASIC's PRINT routine, while if snow checking is turned off these routines are 5 to six times faster than QBASIC library routines). Hardware interrupts are temporarily turned off, so a timer tick or a keystroke will not upset the counting and writing routines. The routines generally only allow enough time to read and write one word. If any further manipulation is required, the wait-for- retrace loop has to be re-entered a second time. For speedier displays (MONO, HERC, EGA, VGA and MCGA), a jump is made to a faster routine that does not have to wait for retrace. There is a fifth way to avoid snow on a CGA, and that is send one word while the video display is in horizontal retrace and 400 words while in vertical retrace mode. However, that was considered too complicated. See, Wilton, "Programmer's Guide to PC & PS/2 Video Systems" (Microsoft 1987). Video Theory: Video memory in text mode starts at segment &HB000 for mono displays, and &HB800 for color displays. The offset of the first page is 0, then &H1000 (80 x 25) for as many pages as are allowed. The screen has no internal divisions representing ROWS and COLUMNS (except in HERC and CGA graphics modes), it simply is a logical concept. At the BIOS/hardware level, for purposes of displaying a character, the upper left is 0,0 and lower right of the display in SCREEN 0: WIDTH 80,25 is 24,79. Thus the location of a particular word on the display is (Row (0 biased) times 160 plus Column) times 2. The 160 is merely 80 columns times two bytes (character and attribute). That figure is hardcoded in my routines so I can use shifts rather than MUL's on old PC's and speed up the video location MACROS. On an 8088, shifts are faster then MUL's (some of the macros show the clocks for shifts versus MUL's on an 8088 and on an 80286). When writing to the display, the attribute is stored (and read into) in AH, and the character is stored (and read into) in AL. To only write characters or attributes, the routines increment DI (usually) after every write. This allows certain routines to write to the display sending only characters or only attributes. MASM Theory: The MASM routines were designed to be compiled with MS QUICK ASSEMBLER, using simplified segment names. They should compile with MS MASM 5.1 and above. The DOSSEG keyword might not be supported in MASM, so use the MASM keyword that arranges the segments in DOS order, rather than ALPHA order. If you use TASM with QUIRKS (IDEAL too?) you should be able to compile these programs with TASM. Because A86 does not make MS .OBJ files, you probably cannot use it. The same may be true with OPTASM. The simplified directives really save time when you have to identify variables on the stack, and push and pop variables. I use the full PROC function and the regular PROC keywords interchangeably. Full PROC format is not necessary when there is no need to address variables on the stack (i.e. no need to change BP to address the stack) and the QBASIC routine is described as a FUNCTION. The EVEN directive is used to word align loops for 80286 and 80386 machines. EVEN inserts NOPS as necessary to word align loops. The QBASIC BYVAL directive is used to get information directly from QBASIC without having to use [BX] or [SI] to fish out the correct information. You will note that DS and OFFSET are used in an unusual way in these routines. The string move MASM opcodes use DS:SI (source) to move video bytes to ES:DI (destination). We have to wait to set DS to the proper address until we have removed information from the stack, as DS must point to DGROUP to properly use the stack. In addition, OFFSET is faster than LEA to address information in .CODE segment. However, for OFFSET to work, MASM must be told that ASSUME DS:NOTHING, ES:NOTHING. This makes the offset relative to beginning of code segment, and not relative to DGROUP (which is the default if simplified segments are used). Should anyone have problems with this, please let me know. To allow for compatibility with the 8088 chip, shifts rather than MULs are used for speed. I use .code to store most of my variables to save space in DGROUP, which is comparatively tiny and easily filed with string data. To program in OS/2 .code segment variables are verbotten, and you must use local variables on the stack. I don't have access to the OS/2 DOS compatibility box, so I don't know how these routines would work under OS/2. I am certain that none of these routines would work smoothly under protected mode. Video routine short instruction list =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB BACKFILL _ (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, BYVAL ATTRIB%, BYVAL TEXTCHAR%) CALL BACKFILL(ULR%, ULC%, LRR%, LRC%, ATTRIB%, TEXT$) Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR Upper left row UCL Upper left column LRR Lower right row LRC Lower right column Attribute% = Background color (range 0 to 15) x 16 + Foreground color (Range 0 - 15). The color can be easily described in Hex as &H47 which yields a red background and white foreground. TextChar% = is simply the character code that you want to fill display with. Common characters are 32 or space, 176 - 178 which makes for an attractive background character for windowing. Fills the display area with a character and a fixed text attribute ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB BLOADHELP (FileName$) CALL BLOADHELP(FileName$) Purpose: to BLOAD help files without defining size of help file or type of display, DEFSEG location, or anything else Assumes: Both BSAVED file and CRT is setup for SCREEN 0, 80 x 25 Routine does not provide any critical error support. Minor file errors will cause abort unless ON ERROR GOTO support is provided to handle common errors. FileName$ must be a near string in DGROUP, cannot be FIXED Length or TYPE'd. =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB CHANGEPAGE () CALL CHANGEPAGE Purpose: Adjust the current VIDEOSEG to reflect current active page that is set by QBASIC. This routine does not change the page that is currently written to, you must use QBASIC to do it. Also reinitializes Video Data Area Limit: This will permit 25, 43, & 50 line displays Note on many HERC's the page size is fixed at 16kb even though it really is 4kb in Text Mode. Because QBASIC does not believe that a HERC display has video pages in text mode, this routine ignores ignores the possibility of video pages for HERC display. Typical page limits in 80 x 25 text mode: Mono, HERC = 0 pages CGA = 4 pages EGA (w/128kb) = 8 pages VGA = 8 pages With careful tinkering of CODE you could get 32 pages for 256kb EGA/VGA's and 8 pages for HERC. However, QBASIC and PRINT would become all confused. That is why this is left to reader to implement. Returns: Nothing, Video Data Area Filed =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB _ CLEARAREA (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, BYVAL ATTRIB%) CALL CLEARAREA (ULR%, ULC%, LRR%, LRC%, ATTRIB%) Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR Upper left row UCL Upper left column LRR Lower right row LRC Lower right column Attribute% = Background color (range 0 to 15) x 16 + Foreground color (Range 0 - 15). The color can be easily described in Hex as &H47 which yields a red background and white foreground. Changes the attribute of an area on the screen in text mode ========================================================================= DECLARE SUB CLEARSCR (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, _BYVAL ATTRIB%) CALL CLEARSCR(ULR%, ULC%, LRR%, LRC%, ATTRIB%) range: 1-50 1-80 1-50 1-80 0-255 Uses the video bios to scroll a window. =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB CLREOL () CLREOL Purpose: Clears to end of current display line w/o changing attribute Assumes: 80 Column mode, assumes that DI has been set by SETQP; QPRINT; QPRINTL; or QPRNT ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB CURSET (Mode%) Input: Mode = 0 turn off cursor NOTE on a VGA with ANSI.SYS installed it might not be possible to turn off all attributes of the cursor. Mode = 1 turn on normal cursor Mode = 2 turn on half block Mode = 3 turn on full block Returns: Nothing Purpose: Selects attractive cursor sizes over the default QBASIC format. Complicated because of need to overcome cursor emulation on VGA/EGA With an EGA/VGA if want a full block cursor, cannot rely on cursor emulation, must adjust for actual display box (assume 80 x 25). ============================================================================ DECLARE FUNCTION DOSPRINT% (BYVAL Row%, BYVAL Col%, Text$) IF DOSPRINT% (Row%, Col%, Text$) THEN PRINT "Error in text$: null or invalid character" END IF If you don't need a return code, simply DECLARE as a SUB Print Text$ at Row%, Column Uses DOS Write services to print to STDERR. STDERR always == CON. Does not change the current background attribute, uses whatever was there. Only prints to page 0, but no range checks on ROW and COL. Most useful when operating in a multitasking environment or if want to use ANSI.SYS control strings. Returns: Error code: 0 if no error -1 if ASCII CHR$(26) found in input stream Warning: Assumes Text$ only contains ASCII text or Carriage return control characters. Any other control characters, e.g. CTRL-C will cause Program to terminate, probably destroying file. Routine checks for C/R, CTRL-C, CTRL-S, CTRL-P after each character If don't want this character checking, use DMPRINT Notes: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the string. However does not tell QBASIC the current cursor location. Should be a well managed function under WINDOWS or other multitasker. ============================================================================ DECLARE FUNCTION DMPRINT% (BYVAL Row%, BYVAL Col%, Text$) IF DMPRINT% (Row%, Col%, Text$) THEN PRINT "Error in text$: null or invalid character" END IF If you don't need a return code, simply DECLARE as a SUB Uses DOS Write services to print to STDERR. STDERR always == CON. Does not change the current background attribute, uses whatever was there. Only prints to page 0, but no range checks on ROW and COL. Returns: Error code: 0 if no error -1 if CON error. If you don't need a return code, simply DECLARE as a SUB Warning: Ignores any control characters, merely prints string. Notes: Moves the cursor to the beginning of the string. However does not tell QBASIC the current cursor location. Should be a well managed function under WINDOWS or other multitasker. Routine is about 1.23 times faster than DOSPRINT on an EGA ======================================================================= DECLARE FUNCTION DSPATTRIB% (BYVAL Foreground%, BYVAL Background%) Takes Background color x 16 plus Foreground color to make an attribute used by the system routines allows Background% > 15, so can blink This routine is not necessary, it just makes life easier for the programmer who remembers the format for COLOR. ============================================================================ DECLARE FUNCTION DUALDISPLAY% () Returns: True (<> 0) if two displays found False (0) if only one CRT found ============================================================================ DECLARE EGAMONO (BYVAL Mode%) CALL EGAMONO (Mode%) Purpose: Forces VGA/EGA mono display to normal MONO attributes This allows programmer to have the same attributes appear on a HERC, MONO, or EGA Mono Display Input: Mode% = 0 if want default mono attributes Mode% <> 0 if want Herc type attributes Returns: Nothing Limitations: For contrast, colors can only be used against White or Intense. Primary colors appear as Black. Only White or Intense can be contrasted against Black. Blue and Intense Blue attributes are not underlined, unlike HERC/MONO All intense colors appear as white. Full control over VGA is not possible because of GRAY scaling and large number of DAC/palette registers. To get control over those two features would make the program much larger. Tinkering required for mono MCGA, but who has one of those? ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB FADE () CALL FADE Purpose: Clever visual effect, fades out display to white on black. Changes all characters to spaces. Works in TextMode only. Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) Assumes: Display width is 80 x 25, 80 x 43 or 80 x 50 ============================================================================ DECLARE FUNCTION FINDCOLOR% () Returns: True (<> 0) if color CRT found, even if not active False (0) if color CRT not found ============================================================================ DECLARE FUNCTION FINDMONO% () Returns: True (<> 0) if mono CRT found, even if not active False (0) if mono CRT not found ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB HERCMODE (BYVAL Mode%) CALL HERCMODE (Mode%) Purpose is a to control dual displays with color and HERC Input: Mode = 0, Sets a Herc display to half-mode, so it can use a CGA Mode <> 0, Sets a Herc display to full-mode, can not use a CGA Does not test for existence of Herc display. ======================================================================= DECLARE FUNCTION INCOLOR%() IF INCOLOR% THEN ... etc. Tests if have a color or mono display attached. Test primary display only. returns -1 if color display (may be a single color display) 0 if BW mono display Note will not be fooled by Herc CGA emulation routines. Doesn't test for single color displays like COMPAQ, AT&T ======================================================================= DECLARE SUB LSCROLL (BYVAL Attribute%) CALL LSCROLL(Attribute%) Scrolls screen left Mostly for fun. To be really useful would have to set it up for windows and would have to print using VPRINT. Designed to handle an 80 x 25 text display ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB MAKEBOXES _ (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, BYVAL HASNO%, BYVAL BORDER%,_ BYVAL ATTRIB%) CALL MAKEBOXES(ULR,ULC,LRR,LRC,HASHNO,BORDER,ATTRIB) Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR = Upper left row UCL = Upper left column LRR = Lower right row LRC = Lower right column HashNo% = is simply the character code that you want to fill display with. Common characters are 32 or space, 176 - 178 which makes for an attractive background character for windowing. Border = Select border type: 0 = no border 2 = single sided 3 = single vertical, double horizontal 4 = double vertical, single horizontal 5 = solid box Default or 1 = double vertical, double horizontal Add 256 to BORDER if want shadows. Shadow designed for 80 x 25 windows, to prevent page overlap. Shadow color is White on blue background for a mono display, is white on black background Attribute% = Background color (range 0 to 15) x 16 + Foreground color (Range 0 - 15). The color can be easily described in Hex as &H47 which yields a red background and white foreground. Somewhat shorter and 1.0076 times faster than using the primitives in this .OBJ file to do the same thing ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB QATTRIB (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COL%, BYVAL NUMCHAR%, BYVAL ATTRIB%) Row, Column is the starting location. attribute is the color and Numchar is the number of characters to change. Changes the attribute of characters on the screen in text mode Assumes: Display width is 80 columns, Rows are 25, 43, or 50 ============================================================================ QPRINT.ASM - performs Quick Printing in the QuickBASIC DECLARE SUB QPRINT (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COL%, Text$, BYVAL ATTRIBUTE%) Works in TextMode only, ignores all special characters Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) If no attribute is selected, the default attribute is &H07 (normal) Assumes: Display width is 80 columns, Rows are 25, 43, or 50 =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB QPRINTL (Text$) CALL QPRINTL(Text$) Usage: CALL SETQP(ROW%, COLL%, Attribute%) the first time to set the defaults to current display size. Then QPRINTL on down the display. You should use SETQP to start, since scroll routine needs the proper attribute to scroll the screen up. Purpose: To work similarly to PRINT Text$ Major differences are: a) Assumes that a VIEW PRINT has been executed b) will not parse the Text$ and start a new line if length of Text$ is longer than remaining space on current line. PRINT is designed for formatted column printing, while this routine is not. c) if at Last Row, Column 80, QPRINTL will scroll the display can't stop it. Speed: Varies with length of Text$ and length of display for a color EGA on a 10 Mhz AT, the speed varies from 3% faster (if LEN(Text$) = 80) to 48% faster. Typical speed increase is 12% ============================================================================ QPRT.ASM - performs Quick Printing in the QuickBASIC DECLARE SUB QPRT (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COL%, TEXT$) Works in TextMode only, ignores all special characters Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) Does not change the attribute, uses whatever was there. Much faster than LOCATE X,Y : PRINT T$ Routine is about 6 times faster than PRINT on a color EGA on an AT about 4.5 times faster than PRINT on a color VGA on a 386SX about 7 times faster than PRINT on a mono EGA on an AT about 1.5 to 2 times faster than PRINT on a CGA on an IBM PC about 5 times faster than PRINT on a HERC on an AT about 6 times faster than PRINT on a COMPAQ Portable Assumes: Display width is 80 columns, Max Rows are 25, 43, or 50 ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB RECOLOR (BYVAL OrigColor%, BYVAL NewColor%) CALL RECOLOR( OrigColor%, NewColor%) Purposes: Change one specific color to another without upsetting the display or using palette registers (which couldn't be restored easily using an EGA) Color is written as BackGround x 16 + ForeGround color Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) Assumes: Display width is 80 x 25, 80 x 43 or 80 x 50 ======================================================================== RESTSCRN.ASM - restores 80 x 25 page text screen in QuickBASIC array Parameters: DECLARE SUB RESTSCRN (BYVAL Segment%, BYVAL Offset%) DIM ARRAY%(2000) CALL RESTSCRN(VARSEG(ARRAY%(0)), VARPTR(ARRAY%(0))) To save display call SAVESCRN ======================================================================= DECLARE SUB RSCROLL (BYVAL Attribute%) CALL RSCROLL(Attribute%) Scrolls screen right Mostly for fun. To be really useful would have to set it up for windows and would have to print using VPRINT. Designed to handle an 80 x 25 text display ======================================================================== SAVESCRN.ASM - saves 80 x 25 text screen page in QuickBASIC array Parameters: DECLARE SUB SAVESCRN (BYVAL Segment%, BYVAL Offset%) DIM ARRAY%(2000) CALL SAVESCRN( VARSEG(ARRAY%(0)), VARPTR(ARRAY%(0))) To restore call RESTSCRN =========================================================================== DECLARE FUNCTION S2BUFF ;put text screen in buffer DECLARE FUNCTION BUFF2S ;get text screen from buffer Allows movement of text screens, page 0 to and from a buffer. Modified to handle a CGA display so will NOT cause SNOW on a CGA Handles 80 x 25, 80 x 43, and 80 x 50 displays. Checks current status each time it makes a shift. Storage in Code Segment used to save space in DGROUP, makes DATA near without using up the limited amount of DGROUP space. However prevents use of program in OS/2 which prohibits any change to CodeSeg values. =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB SCN2BUFF () ;put text screen in buffer DECLARE SUB BUFF2SCN () ;get text screen from buffer Allows movement of text screens, page 0 to and from a buffer. Modified to handle a CGA display so will NOT cause SNOW on a CGA Handles only 80 x 25 displays. Will not crash on 80 x 43 or 80 x 50 just wont save the entire display. See S2BUFF if want larger displays. Storage in Code Segment used to save space in DGROUP, makes DATA near without using up the limited amount of DGROUP space. However prevents use of program in OS/2 which prohibits any change to CodeSeg values. ========================================================================= DECLARE SUB SCROLLDOWN (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, BYVAL _ ROWS%, BYVAL ATTRIB%) CALL SCROLLDOWN(ULR%, ULC%, LRR%, LRC%, ROWS%, ATTRIB%) If ROWS%=0 then entire window cleared Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR = Upper left row UCL = Upper left column LRR = Lower right row LRC = Lower right column Rows = number of rows to scroll Uses the video bios to scroll a window. ========================================================================= DECLARE SUB SCROLLUP (BYVAL ULR%, BYVAL ULC%, BYVAL LRR%, BYVAL LRC%, BYVAL _ ROWS%, BYVAL ATTRIB%) CALL SCROLLUP(ULR%, ULC%, LRR%, LRC%, ROWS%, ATTRIB%) If ROWS%=0 then entire window cleared Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR = Upper left row UCL = Upper left column LRR = Lower right row LRC = Lower right column Rows = number of rows to scroll Uses the video bios to scroll a window. =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB SETQP (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COLL%, BYVAL Attribute%) CALL SETQP(ROW%, COLL%, Attribute%) Purpose: Initializes varibles, and sets DI to target address. This is the initialization routine for QPRINTL. Selects the attribute used to scroll the display upward. Assumes that user wants to set page size to full size of current dsplay such as 80 x 25, 80 x 43, or 80 x 50 =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB SETBLINK (BYVAL Status%) CALL SETBLICK (Status%) Purpose: Toggles background blinking/intensity for MONO, CGA, EGA, VGA allows use of background colors that would otherwise flash Parameters: = 0 turn off blinking, enable intensity <> 0 to turn it on again Returns: nothing =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB SNOWCHECK () CALL SNOWCHECK Purpose: Clears the snowcheck variable (B$DVIDEOPORT) if it finds a CGA display by OLIVETTI (AT&T), COMPAQ, or ZENITH Returns: Nothing DGROUP Data Area Filed ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB SWAPCOLOR () CALL SWAPCOLOR Purpose: If have a CGA and a MONO display, this makes the CGA active Note: Does not test if have either CGA or MONO installed See the FIND routines Side Effect: Display Cleared ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB SWAPMONO () CALL SWAPMONO Purpose: If have a CGA and a MONO display, this makes the MONO active Note: Does not test if have either CGA or MONO installed See the FIND routines Side Effect: Display Cleared. If have dual displays, the mono display is put in HERC half mode for CGA compatibility purposes. Feedback please! =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB TOGGLESNOW (Mode%) CALL TOGGLESNOW(Mode%) Input: If Mode% = 0, clears SNOWCHECK If Mode% <> 0, leaves SNOWCHECK set Purpose: Clears the snowcheck variable (B$DVIDEOPORT) if find a CGA display Also reinitializes Video Data Area Returns: Nothing Video Data Area Filed =========================================================================== DECLARE SUB VADDR (Row%, Column%) CALL VADDR(Row%, Column%) returns the current end of string address for the qprint routines ============================================================================ DECLARE SUB VIDINFO (MODE%, ROW%, COLUMN%, CURPAGE%, PAGESIZE%) CALL VIDINFO(MODE%, ROW%, COLUMN%, CURPAGE%, PAGESIZE%) Purpose: Returns information about current video display status. Mode% = current video mode using BIOS format Row% = number of rows currently being displayed Cols% = width of display in columns Curpage% = currently active page Pagesize% = size of current page in bytes, default is 4kb for an 80 x 25 display. Note: PAGESIZE% on many HERC clones will be incorrect and reflect the information of the HERC display in HALF mode or 16kb size. Routine will store correct Row% length in BIOS ram for CGA, HERC & MONO =========================================================================== DECLARE FUNCTION VIDEOSTAT% () VideoStatus Analyzer Program returns video information for use by QBASIC returns highest level of SCREEN mode supported by the Hardware. Returns information about the PRIMARY display only This routine with a SELECT CASE, can tell you how many display pages are available in text mode, SCREEN 0: WIDTH 80,25 VGA has 8 pages (0 to 7) EGA with > 64kb has 8 pages (0 to 7) EGA with 64kb has 4 pages (0 to 3) CGA has 4 pages (0 to 3) MONO has 1 pages (0) HERC has 1 page in SCREEN 0 (0), 2 pages in SCREEN 3 (0 to 1) Exceptions: MCGA color returns a mode 11, so can contrast w/ VGA HERC w/o MSHERC.COM reports a -3 so you can tell user to correct matters COMPAQ with CGA reports -2 so can force use of monchrome attributes. EGA's with CGA displays report -8 if have only 64kb of memory EGA's with ECD display report 8 if have only 64kb of memory Returns: Mono = 0 CGA = 2 PGA = 2 (Untested, assume PGA would be treated as CGA) COMPAQ - CGA = -2 to tell that user may have a single color display HERC = 3 if have HERC and MSHERC.COM HERC = -3 if have HERC but w/o MSHERC.COM AT&T = 4, but only if have just CGA display, not EGA or VGA Microsoft QuickC/C makes Olivetti EGA and VGA return a separate code. I don't know why anyone would care if the EGA/VGA emulation were good. EGA64 = 8 Because resolution limited for 64k EGA EGA64 w/CGA = -8 Because resolution limited to CGA modes EGA = 9 Have minimum of 128kb of video ram EGA w/CGA = -9 Since resolution limited to CGA modes MCGA = 11 If have an analog color display MCGA = -11 If have an EGA ECD digital color display, since resolution of this display is limited to EGA modes VGA = 13 EGA/VGA mono = 10 I guess will catch MCGA mono too The above numbering routine was selected so if the programmer put ABS in front of the returned value, a SCREEN command could be entered. The other advantage was that the routines are much faster thant the ON ERROR GOTO traps using ERR 5 to determine what is allowed and what is not. Version 0.92 Tested: CGA clone, HERC clone, EGA mono, EGA color, VGA color, COMPAQ CGA, VGA clone, EGA clone (Paradise clone, ATI EGA Wonder), AT&T 6300 Not tested: PGA, VGA monochrome, MCGA (color or monochrome) =========================================================================== VPRINT.ASM - performs Vertical Printing in the QuickBASIC DECLARE SUB VPRINT (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COL%, Text$, BYVAL ATTRIBUTE%) Works in TextMode only, ignores all special characters Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) If no attribute is selected, the default attribute is &H07 (normal) Assumes: Display width is 80 columns ============================================================================ VPRT.ASM - performs Vertical Printing in the QuickBASIC DECLARE SUB VPRT (BYVAL ROW%, BYVAL COL%, TEXT$) Works in TextMode only, ignores all special characters Sensitive to all video modes (i.e. no snow on CGA's) Does not change the attribute, uses whatever was there. Assumes: Display width is 80 columns ============================================================================== WINDREST.ASM - restores a portion of the text screen in QuickBASIC; DECLARE SUB WINDREST(BYVAL ULR%,BYVAL ULC%,BYVAL LRR%,BYVAL LRC%, _BYVAL SEGADD%, BYVAL OFFADR% ) CALL WINDREST(ULR%,ULC%,LRR%,LRC%,VARSEG(STORAGE(0)),VARPTR(STORAGE(0))) Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR = Upper left row UCL = Upper left column LRR = Lower right row LRC = Lower right column Dimension storage array to handle size of display in bytes E.g. 80 x 20 display would require an integer array of 1600 =============================================================================== WINDSAVE.ASM - saves a portion of the text screen in QuickBASIC call from Quickbasic: DECLARE SUB WINDSAVE(BYVAL ULR%,BYVAL ULC%,BYVAL LRR%,BYVAL LRC%, _BYVAL SEGADD%, BYVAL OFFADR% ) DIM STORAGE(2000) CALL WINDSAVE(ULR%,ULC%,LRR%,LRC%,VARSEG(STORAGE(0)),VARPTR(STORAGE(0))) Description of parameters: Because a rectangle can be described by two points, we us the following data points: ULR = Upper left row UCL = Upper left column LRR = Lower right row LRC = Lower right column Dimension storage array to handle size of display in bytes E.g. 80 x 20 display would require an integer array of 1600 =============================================================================== Acknowledgments: Most of my deeper insight into video programming came from a set of public domain TASM video routines by Dave Bennett, (with the Toad Halls tweaks), from 1988. He is the source of the routine for using both the horizontal and vertical retrace to write to a CGA. In addition, his code showed the simple techniques used to write just characters and just attributes to the display. Author : Dave Bennett Version : 1.0 Date : 11/9/88 CIS PPN : 74635,1671 Bibliography: General DOS/BIOS routines: Ray Duncan and Peter Norton's programming books. If you can only afford one book, get Duncan's. Duncan, "Advanced MS- DOS Programming" (2d Ed. Microsoft 1988). Very easy to read and to refer to specific routines. The text is very well formatted for easy reference. Norton, "The New Peter Norton Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC and PS/2" (Harper & Row 1988). A book designed to help you visualize what is going on. Having been "burned" by writing a book on the PC Junior, and experienced the agony of hardware incompatibilities in writing the Norton Utilities, Peter wants everybody to use the bios and documented DOS routines. EGA/VGA Programming: Michael Abrash, "Power Graphics Programming" (Que 1990). Excellent reprint of Programmer's Journal (Buy this magazine!) columns. Does not cover Super VGA and beyond (that is being done now in the Programmer's Journal). Mostly useful for graphics routines. The best book on the subject, and the only technical book that one could actually enjoy reading as a book rather than as a reference. See also various issues of PC Magazine for programming tidbits. Ferro, "Programmer's Guide to the EGA and VGA Cards," (Addison-Wesley 1988). Good, but slightly disorganized. The only book that discusses the registers (unfortunately more in the nature of a dictionary rather than in examples of how to manipulate the registers). A good list of typical bios defaults, which are important for the EGA since you can't read the registers. Herc: Doty, "Programmer's Guide to Hercules Graphics Cards" (Addison-Wesley 1988). Good book on the subject. Describes the high end Herc systems. Many programming examples and port descriptions. Herc, CGA, EGA, VGA: Wilton, "Programmer's Guide to PC & PS/2 Video Systems" (Microsoft 1987). Excellent general purpose book. Said to have some errors, though I have found nothing more than a few typos. Does not cover Super VGA and beyond. Partial information is set forth in Phoenix's "System Bios for PC/XT/AT Computers and Compatibles" (Addison-Wesley 1989). MONO and CGA: Bradley, "Assembly Language Programming for the IBM Personal Computers" (Prentice Hall 1984). Good technical descriptions of the original PC. Only book I have seen that has really shown how to switch displays, manipulate DMA, make sound, and manipulate floppy disk drives at the PORT level (teaches you why we have BIOS and DOS routines). Good book on the 8087. Probably now out of print. I bought my copy at a book store that sells remainders. DOS Programming: Detteman, "DOS Programmer's Reference (2d Ed. Que 1989). Excellent book with a very helpful look at undocumented DOS. Doesn't preach about not using undocumented DOS as does Peter Norton. Waite Group "Dos Developer's Guide" (2d Ed Sams 1989). Good book on Expanded memory and math chips. Several good discussions of the undocumented DOS functions. Such a big book, that you feel you got your money's worth based just on weight. General Programming: Holzner, "PS/2-PC Assembly Language" (Brady 1989) Good introduction to assembly language programming. In many respects better than Holzner, "Advanced Assembly Language on the IBM PC" (Brady 1987). Tischer, "PC System Programming for Developers" (ABACUS 1989). Good technical survey of PC/AT systems. Comes with a lot of programs showing how to do useful things in MASM, QBASIC, PASCAL and C. The only shortcoming is that the book is printed on very cheap paper. One of the few books to show register usage of DOS and BIOS routines (important so you can save variables in registers rather than in memory or pushed on the stack.) Doesn't discuss DOS Version 4 in an integrated fashion. Such a big book, that you feel you got your money's worth based just on weight. Young, "Inside DOS: A Programmer's Guide", (Sybex 1990). Good source of MASM code, with a primary emphasis on C (The MASM code is similar for both C and QBASIC). A reprint of "MS DOS Advanced Programming" (Sybex 1988). (I didn't discover this until I purchased both). Wyatt, "Using Assembly Language" (2d Ed. QUE 1989). Some decent video routines. No useful description of VGA. EGA routines are primitive. Good insight into programming for high level languages. Complete listing of all the Intel keywords, but reads too much like an Intel-English disctionary. Most of the examples in the keyword section are not really helpful and the ASCII math routines are not well described. One major programming feature dropped from the 1st edition was the AT keyboard programming routines. Does this mean AT keyboards are only marginally compatible on the hardware level? Feedback please. QBASIC Programming: Goodwin, "QuickBASIC Advanced Programming Tools" (MIS 1989). A much better book for QBASIC code (sorting, popup windows, dropdown windows and menubar programs) than for MASM code. The MASM code relies on video bios to do things (which is slow, though always compatible). Moreover, screens are stored in STRINGs rather than arrays, which greatly limits the usefulness of his MASM routines. (I agree storing screens in arrays takes more work). A programmer can have access to several hundred KB of far data in arrays, while he can only have access to 30 to 40kb of precious string space in DGROUP. Lesser, "Advanced Quickbasic 4.0 Language Extensions with Modular Tools" (Bantam 1988). This is how I learned about MASM/QBASIC programming. Talks more about ideas that were important for QBASIC Version 3.0/MASM pre- version 5.1 (before simplified directives) than for QBASIC Version 4.x. BELIEVES in structured programming. Not too many hardware insights. Offers generally sound advice. Shammas, "QuickBASIC- Programming Techniques and Library Development" (M&T Publishing 1988). Good QBASIC code. Some of the string routines are fast. He has some BTREE and high level math routines. Books Not Recommended (How daring!): Murray & Pappas, "80386/80286 Assembly Language Programming" (Osborne/McGraw Hill 1986). Only feature of the book is a list of clock cycles for 80286/80386 opcodes. Reads like an Intel-English dictionary. Duntemann, "Assembly Language from Square One" (Scott, Foresman 1990) Designed for the beginning programmer. Suffers from a serious case of excessive cuteness. See game of "Big Bux", page 8. PC Techniques (a good programming magazine, like those HAX) shows he is capable of much, much more. What's next: Two more freeware QBASIC libraries will be released: a) Mouse and Keyboard routines; and b) DOS and Equipment ID routines. All will include MASM source and .OBJ code. If I get any significant feedback, I might even release revised libraries. I think once you are finished using these libraries you will discover that programming is much like fishing. At first, you just go fishing, then you want to catch big fish. After a while, you become content to merely catch fish with whatever is fast, cheap and handy. Oh yes, I almost forgot, in case you are wondering, I am a tax lawyer trying to "catch big fish"