[comp.sys.mac] Flex and Tetris

jmh@ns.UUCP (1606) (03/10/89)

I have been using the Flex desk accessory on my MAC (I
like the way it works, and have talked several other people
at work into installing it).  However, there is a problem 
when running Tetris.

Specifically,  if Flex starts while Tetris is running, the elegant
background pictures that Tetris uses (MAC II Tetris) get shifted
to the upper left hand corner of the screen, covering the menu bar.
Not disasterous, but definitely annoying.

In addition, if Flex was was started while actually playing 
(as distinct from the control or scoring page), When you hit
the next key for any reason, the machine hangs.

This is on a MAC II, 4 Meg memory,  256 Color monitor, 40 Meg hard
disk.

I would have sent this by e-mail, but I lost the name and address
of the person who did such a good job producing Flex.

Joel M. Halpern
612-424-1606
jmh@nsco.network.com

swerling@caen.engin.umich.edu (Ace Swerling) (03/10/89)

In article <1193@ns.UUCP> jmh@ns.UUCP (Joel Halpern 424-1606) writes:
>Specifically,  if Flex starts while Tetris is running, the elegant
>background pictures that Tetris uses (MAC II Tetris) get shifted
>to the upper left hand corner of the screen, covering the menu bar.
>Not disasterous, but definitely annoying.
>
>Joel M. Halpern
>612-424-1606
>jmh@nsco.network.com

I had a problem running Tetris with Font/DA Juggler.  Whenever I would move up
a level, the window for Font/DA Juggler would come up even though the game
appeared to continue, i.e. scores kept adding up.  I had to disable Font/DA
Juggler in order to play the game.

-Ace

carlton@betelgeuse (Mike Carlton) (03/10/89)

In article <1193@ns.UUCP> jmh@ns.UUCP (Joel Halpern 424-1606) writes:
...
>Specifically,  if Flex starts while Tetris is running, the elegant
>background pictures that Tetris uses (MAC II Tetris) get shifted
>to the upper left hand corner of the screen, covering the menu bar.
>Not disasterous, but definitely annoying.
>
>In addition, if Flex was was started while actually playing 
>(as distinct from the control or scoring page), When you hit
>the next key for any reason, the machine hangs.
...
>Joel M. Halpern
>612-424-1606
>jmh@nsco.network.com

I noticed somewhat similar problems with Flex a while ago with another program.
I did some investigating with TMON and it looked like Flex changed the current 
port when it kicked in and didn't restore the port when it exited.  Evidently
most programs can handle that (or Flex only does that to certain programs).  I
had to give up Flex because of it.  Some programs just die because the port has
been changed "behind their back".  In particular, I think Flex set the port to
the WMgrPort and that port has no InvalRgn allocated (this is from memory so is
likely not exactly correct).  If the program does some operation which uses the
InvalRgn of the current port it is likely to go bye-bye.

Regards,
mike (carlton@ji.berkeley.edu   or   ...!ucbvax!ji!carlton)