CompuServe Archive

This is an archive of CompuServe forum messages from 1985 to 1995, as saved in transcripts by John Foust.

Search Results (522 messages)

#901 Conman startup Message #1093
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Tool Box July 18, 1988 6:06 PM
Jay, No, I hadn't heard of QMouse … will have to check it out! Thanks, -Bill
#898 Conman startup Message #1092
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Tool Box July 18, 1988 6:05 PM
Henry, PopCLI III also doesn't have the CLI structure that carries the path, though it does give you the ability to choose the "hot" key. For my part, I prefer getting the path! -Bill
#1008 ARexx Current Dir Message #1087
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Other Languages July 18, 1988 6:01 PM
Hi Art, PatchDOS and setexecute are identical — I just wanted to give the icon a descriptive name 🙂 Note these programs are "experimental" — no big problems, but a few incompatibilities. Once you've done a patchDOS, programs will inherit cd and path when you do an Execute(), tho I've…
#154 RXinstall Message #165
From: Bill Hawes Amiga Vendor · Forum Business July 17, 1988 7:47 PM
Hi CHris, WShell is is full production and should be available from your dealer -if not, have them call me at (617) 568-8695 and I'll tell 'em which distributors to call. WShell talks to any console handler, though I assume most will want to use ConMan with it 🙂 On…
#800 #Conman startup Message #894
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Tool Box July 17, 1988 7:41 PM
Henry, You've stumbled onto an unfortunate limitation of DMouse — it operates as a sort of stripped-down process that doesn't hold any path info. So even if you've added vd0:c to your path, the CLI you pop open with DMouse won't inherit it. I've suggested to Matt Dillon that he…
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Tool Box July 17, 1988 7:37 PM
Sorry, my previous message got run-on. (How do I turn off this auto-formatting, anyway??) Should be: conman -c NEWCLI CON://640/100/New FROM S:STARTUP2 ENDCLI As others have mentioned, the >NIL: on endcli is optional. -Bill
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Tool Box July 17, 1988 7:34 PM
Henry, Another alternative for your ConMan startup is to do a NEWCLI and declare a "from file" to complete your startup. It might look something like this: ; real startup-sequence (initial commands here ….) conman -c NEWCLI CON://640/100/New FROM s:startup2 endcli >NIL: and then put the remainder of the startup…
#514 ARexx Current Dir Message #588
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · Other Languages July 16, 1988 4:18 PM
Hi Ray, The pragma('Directory',dirname) is indeed the function to use, but the RAM: handler has a bug so that its top level gets reported as ":". This problem (and many others) are fixed in 1.3, to the best of my knowledge. When you run a command using the "address command…
#98 Late Release Dates Message #105
From: Bill Hawes Amiga Vendor · Forum Business July 14, 1988 8:27 PM
Not all vendors advertise ahead, even though it's the conventional wisdom to do so. I wait until shrink-wrapped product is piled up before thinking about advertising. Just trying to avoid the curse of vaporware .. Bill Hawes
#96 RXinstall Message #104
From: Bill Hawes Amiga Vendor · Forum Business July 14, 1988 8:24 PM
On RXinstall: RXinstall wasn't supposed to ask for ARexx1.0, but I didn't get all the references to the volume name in the last batch of ARexx. There's a simple work-around, though: before running the RXInstall program, open a CLI and issue the command Assign ARexx1.0: ARexx1.06: This will create a…
#232 Console Programming Message #365
From: Bill Hawes AmigaTech Forum · C Programming July 14, 1988 8:12 PM
Doc, I've got ConMan, you're in luck. ConMan allows you to open on a custom screen by specifying your console as CON:Sxxxxxx/left/top/width/height/name/flags where xxxxxx is the address of your screen — i.e., use sprintf to convert your screen pointer to hex and build the console name. Keep in mind that…
CON: help? Message #134311
From: Bill Hawes The Amiga Forum · Tool Box July 12, 1988 6:09 PM
Scott, WShell is one of my commercial products — a much-enhanced command shell with resident commands, built-in commands, aliases/abbreviations, configurable prompt and titlebar variables, U*IX-style piping, an ARexx interface, and so on. If you'll send me your address I'd be happy to send you a flyer. -Bill
#133700 AREXX functions Message #133747
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming July 8, 1988 8:30 PM
Art, There are a couple of possibilities here. The show function says that "rexxsupport.library" is available as an ARexx resource, but is it in the libs: directory where it can be loaded on call? External libraries are only loaded when you actually call them, and are closed in between, so…
#133700 AREXX functions Message #133747
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming July 8, 1988 8:30 PM
Art, There are a couple of possibilities here. The show function says that "rexxsupport.library" is available as an ARexx resource, but is it in the libs: directory where it can be loaded on call? External libraries are only loaded when you actually call them, and are closed in between, so…
#133453 #I Hate BPTR's Message #133544
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming July 6, 1988 6:15 PM
Relax, BPTRs aren't that bad, after you learn to treat them carefully. The problem is that they're not really pointers to structures until after you've shifted one right by two palces (multiplying it by 4). In your C example, the BPTR will _not_ work as a FileHandle * — just…
#133453 #I Hate BPTR's Message #133544
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming July 6, 1988 6:15 PM
Relax, BPTRs aren't that bad, after you learn to treat them carefully. The problem is that they're not really pointers to structures until after you've shifted one right by two palces (multiplying it by 4). In your C example, the BPTR will _not_ work as a FileHandle * — just…
#133451- CON: help? Message #133543
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Tool Box July 6, 1988 6:08 PM
Scott, If you're using WShell you can both see the messages and direct them to a file by using a command like > lc1 file | tee >savefile Tee is a little filter program that reads its input and echoes it both to the current (*) console window and to…
#133451- CON: help? Message #133543
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Tool Box July 6, 1988 6:08 PM
Scott, If you're using WShell you can both see the messages and direct them to a file by using a command like > lc1 file | tee >savefile Tee is a little filter program that reads its input and echoes it both to the current (*) console window and to…
#133452- Blitz Disk – Where? Message #133542
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade July 6, 1988 6:02 PM
ARexx always evaluates commands as an expression, but remember that a blank space is a concatenation operator — so WRAP 1 won't be treated as an arithmetic expression, but WRAP +1 would add one to the value of WRAP. If WRAP hadn't been assigned a value, it would be used…
#133452- Blitz Disk – Where? Message #133542
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade July 6, 1988 6:02 PM
ARexx always evaluates commands as an expression, but remember that a blank space is a concatenation operator — so WRAP 1 won't be treated as an arithmetic expression, but WRAP +1 would add one to the value of WRAP. If WRAP hadn't been assigned a value, it would be used…
#132916 Blitz Disk – Where? Message #133043
From: Bill Hawes The Amiga Forum · Talk to the Trade July 3, 1988 4:07 PM
Steve, I tried issuing the WRAP 1 command to T-P from a macro and it seemed to work — lines started word wrapping when I typed. Quotes around commands are generally a godd idea, but aren't required unless the external host is case-sensitive in its command syntax.
#132517- #Music-X Message #132629
From: Bill Hawes The Amiga Forum · Talk to the Trade June 30, 1988 7:56 PM
Mike, Could you perhaps tell us a little about the developer's kit? What sort of applications can be developed using it? A curious developer, Bill Hawes
#132556- Blitz Disk – Where? Message #132628
From: Bill Hawes The Amiga Forum · Talk to the Trade June 30, 1988 7:53 PM
The preferred REXX tracing mode for general use is TRACE Results, and for commands is TRACE C — this shows you the clause being executed, the exact string that the command evaluated to, and the return code after it has been performed. Tracing is by far the quickest way to…
#132380- #ARexx speed and SCAN? Message #132477
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 29, 1988 6:24 PM
I think by "general purpose" Jim meant a language for simple applications and everyday programs rather than just macro extensions to other software packages. ARexx by design includes all of the powerful language constructs required of a good high-level language, so it's really just the issue of interpreted vs compiled…
#132380- #ARexx speed and SCAN? Message #132477
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 29, 1988 6:24 PM
I think by "general purpose" Jim meant a language for simple applications and everyday programs rather than just macro extensions to other software packages. ARexx by design includes all of the powerful language constructs required of a good high-level language, so it's really just the issue of interpreted vs compiled…
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 29, 1988 6:11 PM
I second Charlie's concern with using SetFunction(), and also have to plead guilty to using it with WShell's SetExecute command. I don't think production software should have to rely on this except in the limited sitiuation in which your software actually "fixes" a problem. The patched library is then regarded…
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 29, 1988 6:11 PM
I second Charlie's concern with using SetFunction(), and also have to plead guilty to using it with WShell's SetExecute command. I don't think production software should have to rely on this except in the limited sitiuation in which your software actually "fixes" a problem. The patched library is then regarded…
#132237- Blitz Disk – Where? Message #132358
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 28, 1988 5:37 PM
Steve, These TxEd+ commands should work OK if they're placed in a T-P macro file, though your suggestion of quotes is correct — quoting a command is generally safer, as it avoids the danger that a command name (as a vaiable) may have been assigned a value. -Bill
#132237- Blitz Disk – Where? Message #132358
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 28, 1988 5:37 PM
Steve, These TxEd+ commands should work OK if they're placed in a T-P macro file, though your suggestion of quotes is correct — quoting a command is generally safer, as it avoids the danger that a command name (as a vaiable) may have been assigned a value. -Bill
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 26, 1988 9:55 PM
You should be able to open your window OK by setting CUSTOMSCREEN and installing the screen pointer in the NewWindow structure. I do this in ConMan if you pass a screen address in the console spec, though as noted before it's note safe unless you are controlling the screen closing.…
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 26, 1988 9:55 PM
You should be able to open your window OK by setting CUSTOMSCREEN and installing the screen pointer in the NewWindow structure. I do this in ConMan if you pass a screen address in the console spec, though as noted before it's note safe unless you are controlling the screen closing.…
#131317 #STRIPA and RUN Message #131482
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 23, 1988 9:16 PM
The problem with RUNning your program is that the AmigaDOS RUN program doesn't give you an input stream — you get a NIL: filehandle, and any attempt to read will return end-of-file. This can be a problem, as with a program that says "Put disk to be destroyed in drive…
#131317 #STRIPA and RUN Message #131482
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 23, 1988 9:16 PM
The problem with RUNning your program is that the AmigaDOS RUN program doesn't give you an input stream — you get a NIL: filehandle, and any attempt to read will return end-of-file. This can be a problem, as with a program that says "Put disk to be destroyed in drive…
#130893- #ARexx 'n' Workbench Message #131254
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 22, 1988 8:55 PM
There's no bug related to STDOUT to the best of my knowledge; it's simply a question of whether there's a standard output stream to use. All I/O in ARexx is protected against the possibility of a stream or file not being there, so you won't crash or hang — but…
#130893- #ARexx 'n' Workbench Message #131254
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 22, 1988 8:55 PM
There's no bug related to STDOUT to the best of my knowledge; it's simply a question of whether there's a standard output stream to use. All I/O in ARexx is protected against the possibility of a stream or file not being there, so you won't crash or hang — but…
#131154- #WB, ARexx, & WSHell Message #131248
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 22, 1988 8:50 PM
A clever choice of alias will allow you to replace calls to NEWCLI with NEWWSH without having to do a filezap. Typically a program will hard-wire a line like NEWCLI CON:10/20/300/100/MyFave in their program. Just define a WShell alias as alias newcli = "newwsh ;" and run the setexecute program.…
#131154- #WB, ARexx, & WSHell Message #131248
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 22, 1988 8:50 PM
A clever choice of alias will allow you to replace calls to NEWCLI with NEWWSH without having to do a filezap. Typically a program will hard-wire a line like NEWCLI CON:10/20/300/100/MyFave in their program. Just define a WShell alias as alias newcli = "newwsh ;" and run the setexecute program.…
#130316 #RexxArp Error? Message #130319
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 18, 1988 9:11 PM
Tom, The latest rexxarplib.library uses the associated screenshare library, so be sure to put it in libs as well. The screen sharing allows you to manage "named" screens and to pop requestors up on them, without worrying about whether the screen will close out from under you. -Bill
#130316 #RexxArp Error? Message #130319
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Programming June 18, 1988 9:11 PM
Tom, The latest rexxarplib.library uses the associated screenshare library, so be sure to put it in libs as well. The screen sharing allows you to manage "named" screens and to pop requestors up on them, without worrying about whether the screen will close out from under you. -Bill
#129380 CreatePort Message #129415
From: Bill Hawes The Amiga Forum · Programming June 12, 1988 1:25 PM
Tom, CreatePort doesn't live in the ROMs, hence the difficulty in locating it. It's written in C and lives in AMiga.lib, but there's a listing of it in the RKM (complete with an error to test whether you really understand it!) I'd recommend reading the C code and then just…
#129109 BlitzDisk Message #129178
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 11, 1988 11:51 AM
Bob, Your point is well-taken — a 55-line macro wouldn't be very readable as one long string file. ARexx would be perfectly happy processing it, tho, provided it would fit in whatever buffer space TxEd+ uses for macro strings.
#129109 BlitzDisk Message #129178
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 11, 1988 11:51 AM
Bob, Your point is well-taken — a 55-line macro wouldn't be very readable as one long string file. ARexx would be perfectly happy processing it, tho, provided it would fit in whatever buffer space TxEd+ uses for macro strings.
#129082 #Example please? Message #129086
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:36 PM
Tom, You're on to a fairly subtle point here — each WShell is normally a private, self-contained environment: while you're typing commands, or running a script file, you wouldn't expect to suddenly have a random command inserted into the stream. Thus while the message ports used by ARexx for communication…
#129082 #Example please? Message #129086
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:36 PM
Tom, You're on to a fairly subtle point here — each WShell is normally a private, self-contained environment: while you're typing commands, or running a script file, you wouldn't expect to suddenly have a random command inserted into the stream. Thus while the message ports used by ARexx for communication…
#129031 ARexx & WSHell Message #129083
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:26 PM
Tom, With WShell you can directly run REXX programs just like a program -just issue the name of the program as a command, followed by any arguments you'd like. Within the ARexx program file, any commands you issue will automagically go back to the shell that launched the macro. You…
#129031 ARexx & WSHell Message #129083
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:26 PM
Tom, With WShell you can directly run REXX programs just like a program -just issue the name of the program as a command, followed by any arguments you'd like. Within the ARexx program file, any commands you issue will automagically go back to the shell that launched the macro. You…
#129071 #BlitzDisk Message #129080
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:14 PM
Bob, Another thing you might try to speed up macros — whereever possible, use a "string file" for the entire macro program. This completely avoids the file system — searching for and loading the program — and runs a lot faster. For example, binding to a macro key could be…
#129071 #BlitzDisk Message #129080
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 10, 1988 8:14 PM
Bob, Another thing you might try to speed up macros — whereever possible, use a "string file" for the entire macro program. This completely avoids the file system — searching for and loading the program — and runs a lot faster. For example, binding to a macro key could be…
#128749 #ARexx Filezap? Message #128771
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 8, 1988 5:39 PM
You can use either variables or literal strings as arguments for the I/O functions, but remember that arguments to a REXX function are _always_ evaluated as an expression. Thus the use of a variable for the logical file name would retrieve the value of the variable. This might be just…
#128749 #ARexx Filezap? Message #128771
From: Bill Hawes Forum unknown · Talk to the Trade June 8, 1988 5:39 PM
You can use either variables or literal strings as arguments for the I/O functions, but remember that arguments to a REXX function are _always_ evaluated as an expression. Thus the use of a variable for the logical file name would retrieve the value of the variable. This might be just…

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