SLMYQ@USU.BITNET (04/06/88)
Here's a suggestion for software developers that open their own screens, and
possibly an item to add to the Usenet Seal of Approval list.
Make it use the screen dimension values found in GfxBase. NormalDisplayColumns
always contains the number of columns you would use if you wanted to open
a hi-res screen which would be visually the same size as the Workbench screen.
NormalDisplayRows contains the number of rows you would use if you wanted to
open a NON-interlaced screen the same size as the Workbench. This is true even
if the Workbench screen actually IS in interlaced mode. This way, programs
can easily use the extra space on PAL systems, or when you use Morerows.
I haven't seen too many programs that do this. It's a shame, sinceit's really
quite easy. DPaint II doesn't even do it.
For programs like Handshake which use screens which are more than 640 columns
wide, you can just say that you'll use, say, 660 or NormalDisplayColumns,
whichever is bigger.
I really think all application programs should do this. Really the only type
of programs that really have a reason not to use it is games.
The same thing goes for programs which open windows on the Workbench screen.
They should use GetScreenData() and open a full-size window.
Matt, here's a suggestion for DME. Read in the config file BEFORE you open the
initial window, so it gets opened according to the values there. I use
Morerows, and it would be nice not to have to do any sizing at all.
Now, an interesting thought. What happens if you use Morerows to create a
Workbench screen with an odd number of columns? Would it affect anything
when opening a non-HIRES screen? The only problem I see is if some part
of the program truncates the number (rounds downward), and another part
rounds it (upward).
Enough rambling.
Bryan
Bryan Ford //// A computer does what \\\\
Snail: 17n, UT 84321 \\\X/// what you want it to do. \\\X///
Email: SLMYQ@USU.BITNET \XXX/ Murphy's Law Calendar 1986 \XXX/dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon) (04/10/88)
>Matt, here's a suggestion for DME. Read in the config file BEFORE you open the >initial window, so it gets opened according to the values there. I use >Morerows, and it would be nice not to have to do any sizing at all. That particular section of DME is a hacker's nightmare ... needs to be rewritten. There is a hack: you can specify window placement on the command line, but a real fix (allowing the script file to run before any windows are openned) would take more time than I have. But... I didn't give out the source for nothing! People can customize their own copies (but if you redistribute them your head will roll). -Matt