fin@norge.unet.umn.edu (Craig A. Finseth) (05/08/91)
I am considering buying an HP-95LX but would first like to find out the answer to a question about it. Essentially, I would like to run my own text editor (an Emacs-clone: yes, for the 95). The question is, can I do this and still be able to switch among the built-in applications? I am concerned that I would have to choose between my program and the built-in stuff. (I.e., exit from one and thuse lose all the state before starting the other.) Can someone out there help me? E-mail replies are fine. Craig A. Finseth fin@unet.umn.edu [CAF13] University Networking Services +1 612 624 3375 desk University of Minnesota +1 612 625 0006 problems 130 Lind Hall, 207 Church St SE +1 612 626 1002 FAX Minneapolis MN 55455-0134, U.S.A.
everett@hpcvra.cv.hp.com. (Everett Kaser) (05/11/91)
fin@norge.unet.umn.edu (Craig A. Finseth) writes... >Essentially, I would like to run my own text editor (an Emacs-clone: >yes, for the 95). The question is, can I do this and still be able to >switch among the built-in applications? >Craig A. Finseth fin@unet.umn.edu [CAF13] Well, there's several possibilities: 1) You do nothing to your current editor, run it as is. This means you would have to close all of the other apps first (besides the Filer), and then run your editor from the Filer, or enter DOS and then run your editor. You would no doubt be faced with display limitations, having to scroll the physical 16x40 display around the logical 25x80 display that your editor would probably be using. From the user's point of view, this is probably the least favorable option. From the programmer's point of view, this is possibly the most favorable, as no changes should be necessary, assuming that your editor can detect and use an MDA display. 2) You modify your editor so that it can handle a 16x40 display. This *might* be fairly simple to do (depending upon how well structure the editor was when it was written). This would be better from the user's point of view as the user would not be scrolling the physical display about a logical display which is a logical window into a virtual document. If you catch my drift. 3) Finally, you could modify the editor to make it "System Manager Compliant". This isn't actually too difficult, if the editor is written in assembly language, as it mostly involves modifying the way you get keystrokes and handling "activate" and "de-activate" events (task swapping). However, if the program is written in C things start getting more complex, but it's still possible. If the program is written in some other language, it may be possible, but you're into uncharted waters (deep, and probably shark -infested). This third possibility, of course, would require a copy of the developers guide, which is currently available only to a limited number of third party software developers, but will eventually be published (it appears) for average Joe's like you and me. Hope this helps. Everett Kaser Hewlett-Packard Company ...hplabs!hp-pcd!everett work: (503) 750-3569 Corvallis, Oregon everett%hpcvra@hplabs.hp.com home: (503) 928-5259 Albany, Oregon