##17040-Help
12 messages in this thread
Gary:
Are you INLINEing this stuff into GFA (using C) if so, let me know how it
turns out. I gave up on basics as they just can't produce "normal" Amiga
Applications (ie: submenus, window IDCMP messages Gadgets (scroll bars),
get CLI arguments, etc… GFA does do some of the above, so it was the best
Amiga basic in my opinion (I have/had: HiSoft, A/C Basic, TrueBasic,
FBasic-furthest from a "basic" I have ever seen, Extend for AmigaBasic)
I just got SAS/C (5.10b) so I'm trying C now.
I haven't tried CanDo but heard good things about v1.5
Anyway, I have some info for GFA on the startup and execute commands Good
luck trying to send/receive messages in GFA.
John:
Whatever info you have on GFA, please send it to me! I'm desperate for
news. I'm supposedly at the top of GFA's list for beta testing the new
version (they've moved development of GFA for the Amiga to the States,
don't ask me why) and I should be recieving a sample disk of programs and
examples from them, including how to use system gadgets (YEA!) real soon
(yeh, right!). Again, ANY info would be helpful at this point.
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
I did a FF for this:
Amiga File Finder
Filename : GFAEXT.LZH Forum: AMIGATECH Lib: Other Programming Lib #: 9
Submitter: [76256,3436] 10-Mar-91 Size: 73472 Accesses: 4
GfaExtras: A collection of Amiga routines for GFABasic3.5 Support for: DOS
level stuff – directory, file info (bits, size, etc)
CLI command parsing – Argument counts, argument value (string)
Real GADGETS with IDCMP messages thru GFA's MENU() & ON MESSAGE GOSUB…
Program Prop gadgets that adjust to window size & stay in the border. (See
RomKernal manuals for more info) Works under AmigaDOS 1.3 – not 2.0!
Executables, GFA and ASCII source included
Hope this helps! I Uploaded this some time ago. Since GFA still doesn't
work under 2.0 I have been trying to learn C and haven't finished my
programs I was developing undef GFA. If you hear about a 2.04 compatable
GFA, let me know!
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!
John:
My God! All the stuff I've been bugging GFA for for weeks and it's been
right here on CIS all the time! (WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! <- the sound of Gary
smacking himself silly…) Thanks alot.
BTW, GFA works fine under 2.04 (it caused us no end of grief with
2.01-2.03, all the window closing bugs and what not), so I would advise you
to check it out again.
Thanks again. You made my day!
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Gary,
I really was using the stuff – the upload was put together pretty quick. I
don't even remember if I commented the source very well. Any Q's I'll be
happy to help on (I'm not sure if it will work under 2.0 still)
Anyway, I talked to GFA today, they need a programmer to finish the Basic
program. As I'm not much of a C programmer (yet), nor Assembly (my next
hurdle) I figured I would see if anyone is interested on CIS. If so,
contact me and I'll send along GFA's # for more info.
PS:
As I have a 3000 and tried both 3.5e and 3.51 along with all the tricks
(no cache, nofastram, etc) I gave up. I will try my A500 tonite
(hate to develop on it, though!) My 2.0 is 2.04 (KS 37.175 & WB 36.64)
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!
John:
I didn't know that GFA wouldn't run on a 3000. I have a 2000 and am running
2.04 (sometimes!) off disk and am having no problems with GFA or the
software I write with it. At least the resulting software runs on a 3000.
And your code was a little difficult to trace through, though I am
impressed by the use of system prop gadgets. When I get some time, I'll
pick it apart. One of the things I'm desperate for right now though, is a
system TEXT gadget. Any ideas? I've emulated the C structures as best I
could and actually get a gadget in the window but I can't seem to enter
anything into it. BTW: Here's a hint. If you want to get rid of the
"GFA-Basic" showing up in window and screen title bars, go into one of the
compiler files (can't remember which one) and replace the "GFA-Basic" and
"GFA-Basic Screen"'s with 0's. They're near the end of whichever file it is
(I prefer to acknowledge GFA in my documentation, not in my programs!) And
what were you saying about GFA needing a programmer? To actually work on
GFA Basic itself? I don't know much about C or any language other than GFA.
If they need someone to write sample GFA programs, I might be able to do
that. If you want to see a sample of source code that I've done, let me
know and I'll email it to you. I've written 2 commercial programs in GFA
(MIfont and MIoutline, the former reviewed (badly!:( in this month's Amiga
World), as well as a few utilities up here on CIS.
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Gary:
I ALWAYS fake string gadgets. I wanna be able to tab through fields
(string gadgets) up/down arrow from one to another, etc. (like RETURN to
enter and move to the next field, SHIFT-RETURN to enter and move to the
previous field, F-Keys that do something, then let the user continue n that
string field, etc. These things are pretty hairy to do via the string
gadget. My program even gets messages when not active and lowers it's
priority (I do a lot of math computations)
As far as I remember, I did set one up, had it working but it would behave
irradically: cursor in string gadget, point mouse out of window, die…
I will look into it this weekend and let you know.
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!
John:
I have the curious distinction of being one of the only Amiga programmers I
know to develop programs without ANY text input, simply because I can't
figure out how to implement the system text gadgets! (That's okay for one
or two programs, but my next project will DEFINITELY need a text
gadget…). The problem is that faking text input can only be accomplished
with the INPUT command, which uses non-standard inputs (ESC to clear line
instead of Amiga-X, etc.), which most users would bawk at. As well, you can
only place them in PRINT coloumns and rows, and all my screen text is
placed with the TEXT command. There's a program that converts Mac
PostScript fonts to IBM PostScript fonts in the Amigauser/Word
Processor&DTP area called "MIM2I.LZH" (I think) which I wrote in GFA.
Download it if you want to see some of the things I'm doing. All the
gadgets, file selector, everything, is home made: no system gadgets. In
fact, for most applications, I, like yourself, prefer to make my own
gadgets (draw boxes on the screen, place text in the gadgets MY way, have
the buttons push in the way I want them to, etc). There's alot more control
in that, than using system gadgets. But I think, for the sake of
consistency, I have to implement the system's Text gadget from now on (if I
can figure out how!).
Thanks for the info and I'll talk to you soon.
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Gary:
Sorry, I use on menukey gosub (this is for all keypresses and NOT for
AmigaMenu-key sequences) the routine I jump to makes a cursor (non graphic,
just wap colors!) and such… I'm not sure if you could make heads or
tales of it as it reads the RAW key number and converts it – also allows
ALT set, Control set, etc…Amiga keys are also available if not in use as
a menu key. (I happen to LIKE esc to erase text)
The only bad thing is arrow and function key routines are Hardcoded into
the subroutine. You would have to do some fixing up. Especially to allow
non standard text sizes.
As far as TEXT alignment, that's what I do too! I hate string gads that
don't allow underscores or look wierd when text is in em (you know, like
too many pixels between border, or more pixels above characters than
below)
Anyway, as GFA doesn't work on a A3000 in 2.04, I really don't use it much
anymore, and I really don't like 1.3 now that I'm 2.0 spoiled!
If I get the chance, I'll try it on my A500 and let you know.
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!
John:
I haven't been through your code yet, but I'll check out your menukey
gosub. I don't use drop-down menus at all (get in the way, can't stand
them), so the Amiga key thing would not be a problem. I've been trying to
think of a way of getting keyboard information easily, but it's difficult,
because the main keys are addressed one way, the arrows another, the
Amiga-combinations another… eek! And you're exactly right about gadgets
containing strings: they never seem to centre properly! I've written a
routine that you hand a line of text to and a few control numbers and it
creates a button, in a number of different "looks", anywhere on the screen,
and centres the text perfectly in it. You would think Intuition would try
to make it look as good, as everyone seems so hot these days on the Amiga
looking "professional" and all. I tried writing something for the RAW key
mode, but it got very confusing trying to keep track of keydown/keyup, etc,
and I opted out.
Talk to you later.
Gary
– Mirror Image Prod. (416) 495-7469, via WHAP!
Gary,
I didn't put the routine in the upload. I use it in my programs and will
try to cut it out and make a usable demo for you to use. The keycodes
returned by ON MENU KEY GOSUB xxxx are scankey codes. You also must be
careful to ignore downkey and wait for the released (or was it
vice-versa?). Anyway, I will try to get you some workable demo stuff soon.
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!
Oh-Me-Gosh!
It does work on my A500 w/2.04! Unfortunately, my A3000 w/2.04 will not
work in any way. Of course I'd rather develop on the 3000, then move the
code to the 500.
Thanks for the tip!
BTW: I did have to get rid of a sequence for my application to work:
I opened a 1×1 window, titled it, then used SIZEW to open it
fully. That crashed (right after my screen opened!). Now I open
it fully (so what if you see "GFA-BASIC" for a few seconds, I know
of no other way).
JohnB 76256,3436 – via Whap!