ram@lscvax.UUCP (Ric Messier) (03/11/88)
Since they tell me that the cursor is defined in hardware, this is
probably futile but I am trying anyway. I vaguely remember someone
mentioning an article in Byte magazine a while back about changing the
cursor to a little state of Texas. Is this in fact possible? If so, how
is it done? I would really like a chance to fool around with the cursor
a little bit. The DOS interrupts to change it don't offer NEARLY enough
flexibility. (I would especially like to SHUT OFF THE FOOLISH
BLINKING!!!) Any help in this area would be appreciated.
On another note, does anyone know how useful the DOS Technical Reference
Manual is (please qualify your answer with how much experience you have
had using manuals, computers, etc. so I will have a frame of reference.)
Also, where can it be obtained and how expensive is it? How about IBM
hardware reference materials?? I am also looking to get the Intel books
on programming their chips. How good are they??
Thanks in advance for any help.
--
- Kilroy ram@lscvax.UUCP
'Just what cowpatch is Lyndonville, Vermont in anyway?'
*** Can't deal, &CRASHcramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (03/14/88)
> Since they tell me that the cursor is defined in hardware, this is > probably futile but I am trying anyway. I vaguely remember someone > mentioning an article in Byte magazine a while back about changing the > cursor to a little state of Texas. Is this in fact possible? If so, how > is it done? I would really like a chance to fool around with the cursor > a little bit. The DOS interrupts to change it don't offer NEARLY enough > flexibility. (I would especially like to SHUT OFF THE FOOLISH > BLINKING!!!) Any help in this area would be appreciated. I recall that was a PROMPT command, so that the DOS prompt was the state flag of Texas. (It worked, too, with a little debugging. "O" for "0" mistakes in printing. We set up a Texan at Kontron with this as his cursor -- he got a good laugh from it). Clayton E. Cramer
madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost) (03/17/88)
In article <398@lscvax.UUCP> ram@lscvax.UUCP (Ric Messier) writes: >On another note, does anyone know how useful the DOS Technical Reference >Manual is (please qualify your answer with how much experience you have >had using manuals, computers, etc. so I will have a frame of reference.) If you're doing DOS programming, it's invaluable. If you're making applications using a reasonable language (eg C or Turbo Pascal 4.0), you won't need it. If you're using TP 3.0, it's necessary if you're dealing with something complicated since TP 3.0 doesn't have very extensive library routines. I've found the book a great reference when building utilities and small applications within TP 3.0. It has less use if you're using languages with good libraries, but would still be useful if you're making utilities. >Also, where can it be obtained and how expensive is it? How about IBM >hardware reference materials?? I am also looking to get the Intel books >on programming their chips. How good are they?? If you buy the book from IBM, they keep sending you upgrades as PC-DOS goes through revisions. I have three of them, for 3.10, 3.20, and 3.30. They sent a card with 3.30 that said that it would be the last one, but if they're actually making 3.40 then I would expect to get another. Any IBM authorized dealer can sell you the book (ours was $85 or something like that but I think it's gone up) and you'll receive updates automatically. IBM will send it to you directly if you ask but it'll take 2-4 weeks and might be cheaper at an authorized dealer (IBM will always give you list). I don't personally own the hardware tech manuals, but I've seen them and they're about the same quality as the DOS manuals, although they contain considerably more information. As a programmer I haven't found much that I really needed them for, but I also try to keep programs more or less non-IBM specific. They should run about the same cost, as well. No comment on intel books, since I don't really have any. jim frost madd@bu-it.bu.edu