harryk@bucsb.UUCP (_harryk) (12/14/89)
I would like to thank Robert from Netherlands and Darek from ATARI Corp.
for answering my question!
They both suggested to use wind_update() instead of menu_bar(), inside
the for-loop! So YES, that was the answer: once i did it, everything was
working fine! As far as MN_SELECTED is concerned, i have to apologise, but
i was using MU_MESAG from the very first time; i just mistyped the code
when i sent it to the net!
The sad thing is, that I've never seen wind_update() documented along
with any menu_xxxx() function! I'm using MWC's manual and "GEM Programer's
Reference" by Abacus, as GEM reference guides! In both of them, wind_update()
is NOT even MENTIONED on the pages talking about menus! But that's why Use-
Net does exist, i guess!
So, for any future GEM programer who wants to use keyboard equivalents, be
carefull when using menu_bar(menutree, 0/1). If you want to disable the
menu bar while you are in the main loop, use wind_update(BEG/END_UPDATE);
among other things it disables the menu bar too! I figured it out, in the
hard way, but I'm glad that people like Robert and Darek do exist and are
ready to help!
Thanks again!!
Harry Karayiannis
3rd Year Computer Science
Boston University
PS1: Ken, Alan and Darek prove every day, through this net, that ATARI Corp.
Programming Department consists of outstanding individuals! Imagine ST
Community's future (in the US) without those three men advising other
ST users and programmers! (I only wish ATARI could publish a complete
documentation on Technical Information about its machines, and make it
available to the public! All the books i've seen assume that the reader
is already familiar with GEM, and are used as refernce books! Only Pro-
spero Software provides exceptional documentation with its products
- I happen to own Prospero Pascal (but still,nothing about wind_update()
on menu pages) - )!
PS2: Ok Robert, I haven't forgotten you! In the past, i said that Germans are
ST wizards! I did forget to add Netherland guys too! Actually, in the
middle Europe one can get the most out of his ST, and Netherlans is in
the middle Europe, right? BTH, I love the Netherland version of the game
RISK!
Take care guys!!!!steve@thelake.UUCP (Steve Yelvington) (12/14/89)
In article <150@bucsb.UUCP>, harryk@bucsb.UUCP (_harryk) writes ... > > I would like to thank Robert from Netherlands and Darek from ATARI Corp. > for answering my question! > > They both suggested to use wind_update() instead of menu_bar(), inside > the for-loop! So YES, that was the answer: once i did it, everything was > working fine! As far as MN_SELECTED is concerned, i have to apologise, but > i was using MU_MESAG from the very first time; i just mistyped the code > when i sent it to the net! > > The sad thing is, that I've never seen wind_update() documented along > with any menu_xxxx() function! I'm using MWC's manual and "GEM Programer's > Reference" by Abacus, as GEM reference guides! In both of them, wind_update() > is NOT even MENTIONED on the pages talking about menus! But that's why Use- > Net does exist, i guess! > The MWC manual is less than clear in its example of using the menu bar (page 324). It has the event loop in main(), so it must turn off the menu bar from within the switch-case before calling appl_exit() and exit(). As a result, it would be easy to jump to the conclusion (as you did) that you need to turn off the menu bar with "menu_bar(menu,0)" before you do something. You don't, of course. You probably should set the menu entry to normal, but don't erase the bar. MWC documents wind_update() as "an AES routine that locks or unlocks a window." In "Atari ST Application Programming" (Pollack and Weber, Bantam Books), wind_update() is documented as "communicate with the AES about the application's current processing," which is more general and more accurate. The term "window" in this context is confusing, because you tend to think of a window as the classic visual object with a title bar, sliders, check boxes, etc. Actually, the work area is a window, and wind_update() in this context simply tells the Screen Manager not to mess with anything until you're finished. > ... (I only wish ATARI could publish a complete > documentation on Technical Information about its machines, and make it > available to the public! All the books i've seen assume that the reader > is already familiar with GEM, and are used as refernce books! This is precisely the problem: You need a tutorial, and what you have are reference works. The aforementioned Pollack and Weber book is a fairly gentle tutorial introduction to GEM programming. Your local bookseller should be able to order it, or you can get it direct from Bantam Books Inc., 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10103. The book's ISBN number is 0-553-34397-1. The copy I have says it's $24.95 US / $29.95 CDN. -- Steve Yelvington at the (frozen enough to skate!) lake in Minnesota UUCP: ... pwcs.StPaul.GOV!stag!thelake!steve
neil@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Forsyth) (12/15/89)
In article <150@bucsb.UUCP> harryk@bucsb.UUCP (Harry Karayiannis) writes: >PS1: Ken, Alan and Darek prove every day, through this net, that ATARI Corp. > Programming Department consists of outstanding individuals! Imagine ST > Community's future (in the US) without those three men advising other > ST users and programmers! Hear hear! (BEGIN :-) I believe that Apple were working on clones of these before they got Landon and that IBM managed to get a prototype running but he has a segment size problem. Makes me wish we were US registered developers instead of UK forgotten ones. 1 * Atari(US) = 10 * Atari(UK) And hey 'no fair' Atari(US), you got Richard Miller from us so how about giving us someone back. (END :-) Seriously though ... Update on the UK Developers Support:- Acting on a tipoff that Atari UK were selling TOS 1.4 on EPROM, I phoned them up. The phone answerer was either someone new or had been told to shape up her act. I got through to Bob Katz right away (amazing eh!). I asked him about chipsets and he said they were avaiable from sales and that I should hurry as there were only 3 sets left. I then pressed him about updated documentation and he said that I would get that too. I have sent him four letters since July and asked about TOS1.4 in all of them but he never told me it was available by letter,fax or phone. I now understand that they have been selling chipsets to any TD|H who asked for one, not just developers! So I ordered a chipset. I phoned later to chase it up and they don't know what I'm talking about. The 3 sets are gone too! There is a head shaped dent in my wall now. I dunno, what's a guy to do? You can be sure I'll post any new developments. Right that's enough soapbox exercise for today ... +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise stated, the above comments are entirely my own ! ! (Sad isn't it!) ! ! Neil Forsyth JANET: neil@uk.ac.hw.cs ! ! Dept. of Computer Science ARPA: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk ! ! Heriot-Watt University UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!neil ! ! Edinburgh, Scotland, UK "How do they put budgies down?" ! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+