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- 4/16/85
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- The accompanying files in the archive BWTOOL01.ARC comprise the first release
- of the Window Tools routines into the Public Domain. If you followed the
- release late in 1986 of the BASWIND2 package, you will remember that I prom-
- ised to release the Window Tools routines (demonstrated in the file BW2DEMO2)
- one at a time as my contribution to the IBM PC "shared software" community.
- Please note that these routines are PUBLIC DOMAIN; that is, not "shareware",
- "freeware", or any other type of designation for programs that retain the
- copyright of the author. You may use any of these routines freely, in any
- program, commercial or private, without any obligation. It is my hope that
- others will similarly contribute works to the Public Domain which we may
- all share and improve as we see fit.
-
- If you are aware of the BASWIND2 release and the demos of the Window Tools;
- you undoubtedly know that for the past several months (and hopefully, for a
- few months to come) I have been selling a complete package of the Window Tools
- routines. This has been an experiment on my part to see if a certain amount of
- commercial value can be extracted from a software work by an author; to pro-
- vide an incentive for him to keep writing routines that are of value to others;
- while at the same time providing for the eventual enrichment of the Public
- Domain. I am pleased to say that the response to this rather novel method of
- release has been very positive; as I have received a gratifying amount of both
- moral and monetary support.
-
- To those of you who considered the full package of routines to be attractive
- enough to warrant your $25 contribution; you have my sincere thanks, with my
- best wishes that you have found the routines to be of use in your programming
- efforts. To those of you that, for whatever reason, did not feel they were of
- commercial value to you: please use the accompanying routines (and those to be
- released along the coming months) as you see fit as they are hereby released
- into the Public Domain for the free exchange of all. I do not ask for any
- contribution for their use: they have provided me with what I consider to be
- an adequate return and I am now using them as my way of contributing something
- back to the IBM software community that has been of inestimable value to me.
-
- Some of you may find that, after reviewing this and subsequent routines, that
- you would like to have the complete set of routines and prefer not to wait.
- For this reason, I will continue to provide a disk with the complete set of
- all source code and documentation for the entire Window Tools package. You may
- acquire this package by sending a contribution of $25 to:
-
- Dave Evers
- 2500 Larch Rd. #58
- Quincy, IL 62301
-
- I will return the disk to you via First Class mail. Obviously, as more and
- more of the routines are released into the Public Domain over the coming
- months, the value of this offer will diminish. I have taken this into con-
- sideration as part of the declining return that anything of value provides
- to its creator over time. The difference here is that once the commercial
- value is exhausted; the product doesn't languish in obscurity, but is free to
- develop in a "second life" among the user community. I wish more software
- (especially "defunct" commercial packages) would be available in this manner;
- as it offers a tremendous opportunity for learning and application to many
- people who, by lack of financial resources or inclination, simply choose not
- to purchase a software product. I encourage all software authors to consider
- contributing in some fashion to the Public Domain so that it becomes more of
- a resource; in effect becoming a "public library" rather than a "public dump".
-
-
- SPEECH OVER! Now to the task at hand ...
-
-
- Included in this release are the following files:
-
- BWTOOL01 DOC
- FASTPRT ASM
- FASTPRT OBJ
- NEWSCRN ASM
- NEWSCRN OBJ
- POPMENU SUB
- SCROLL SUB
- USERLIB2 OBJ
- MAKEWIND SUB
- WINDTOOL LIB
- READ ME
-
- The ASM files are assembly language source files for certain routines;
- the OBJ files are the assembled routines ready to be linked to your program.
- The SUB files are QuickBASIC source code for the balance of the routines in
- this release.
-
- Also included is a file called WINDTOOL.LIB, which contains all of these
- routines in linkable form in a single entity to be specified during the LINK
- procedure. To use these routines, your main program must be compiled using the
- /O option (command line) or the OBJ (BCOM.LIB) option within QB. If you desire
- to use the interactive programming environment of QuickBASIC, you must re-
- compile all of the SUB files using no switch on the command line or the
- OBJ (BRUN.LIB) option within QB. Then you must use the BUILDLIB program that
- comes with QuickBASIC to incorporate ALL of the OBJ files into a User Library
- (following the procedure specified in the QB manual). Then, when invoking
- QuickBASIC, use the /L:[library name] option to load in the User Library.
- You may then compile to memory quickly and test your programs without having
- to separately compile and link all of the modules.
-
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-