[comp.sys.apple] another tasker idea

oliver@thelink.UUCP (Joel Sumner) (06/23/88)

A
Ok.. Here is another idea that I ran across for all enterprising
individuals (which may be me in a few years)... I notice that the
GET_NEXT_EVENT can only produce 16 different results (this is from the
"Programmer's  Introductions to the Apple IIgs")  with number 9 being the
'switchEvt' (supposedly not supported yet). I imagine that this is intended
as something in the "SWITCHER" realm but could this be used to tell the
program to make a 'Switch' back to whatever  program is controlling the
Multitasking.. (Is there any way to even use it  since it is
unsupported?)... 

 Another little didy... Since NDA's are  just regular programs that don't
start up any tools (except for the ones that they may need that aren't
already there)... Is there any way to make the machine think that a program
is a New Desk Accessory? (Multi Finder already switches Applications by use
of the Apple Menu [I think, I am not a Mac II person])   There is already a
provision for giving an NDA 'time' to do whatever... The only problem to
this appears if you ever watch your CLOCK.NDA while you use   the Standard
File box or other commands that involves disk access, it seems to skip a
few seconds in there.. I am not sure how that can be gotten around.  Maybe
that kicks the 'Telecom Prog and another program multitasking idea' out the
window by that method but it would allow some rudimentary multitasking
(after all, just like with NDA's, the current application gets priority
over the backround ones doesn't it?) 
 
Well, that is just my idea coming out of my demented brain so you can do with
it what you want (Just please don't turn on the flame gun.. I am quite a
novice programmer with big ideas and no way in the world to make them a 
reality... Just take my ideas and throw them out the window if you don't like
them..Suggestions appreciated....)


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keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) (06/23/88)

In article <146@thelink.UUCP> oliver@thelink.UUCP (Joel Sumner) writes:
> [stuff about existance of Switch events ]
>'switchEvt' (supposedly not supported yet). I imagine that this is intended
>as something in the "SWITCHER" realm but could this be used to tell the
>program to make a 'Switch' back to whatever  program is controlling the
>Multitasking.. (Is there any way to even use it  since it is
>unsupported?)... 

Please don't confuse "Reserved" with "Unsupported"! Page 7-14 of the GS
ToolBox reference manual states that Switch events are not implemented at
this time. Anyone trying to usurp them for their own use may be introuble
if/when Apple decides to do so multi-tasking.

We provide you with 4 user-definable event types. If you need more than 4,
you can extend their defintions by passing back specific messages in the
event record (placed there with PostEvent).
>
> Another little didy... Since NDA's are  just regular programs that don't
>start up any tools (except for the ones that they may need that aren't
>already there)... Is there any way to make the machine think that a program
>is a New Desk Accessory? (Multi Finder already switches Applications by use

Unfortunately, NDA's aren't that closely related to regular applications. They
are structured a little differently, and actually are expected to accept some
calls that normal applications don't get (like "CursorAction")