252u3715@fergvax.unl.edu (Teik Leong Tan) (04/02/91)
To all the computer experts out there,
I have been using the PC for quite a number of years now. But I
just don't know where/how I could start learning about TSR's. For all
I know TSR is a resident program that stays in the memory after it is
terminated, and that it can be activated through certain combination of
special keys. What I want to know here is:
[1] How to write TSR programs?
[2] Do you need special compilers for TSR?
[3] What books are recommended?
[4] Where can I find these books?
[5] Can anyone of you experts give me some pointers on TSR programming so
that I can get started? I think some examples of beginner's programming
on TSR would benefit me tremendously. I am just a beginner in this
field. So please don't talk to me in language so technical that I can't
understand.
Other helpful hints/pointers are welcomed.
All help is very much appreciated.
Teik Leong Tan
252u3715@fergvax.unl.edureino@cs.eur.nl (Reino de Boer) (04/03/91)
Although the following could have been sent by email, the questions seem to be popping up :-) so regularly that I thought a followup was appropriate. In <252u3715.670537130@fergvax> 252u3715@fergvax.unl.edu (Teik Leong Tan) writes: > I have been using the PC for quite a number of years now. But I >just don't know where/how I could start learning about TSR's. For all >I know TSR is a resident program that stays in the memory after it is >terminated, and that it can be activated through certain combination of >special keys. What I want to know here is: >[1] How to write TSR programs? See the excellent article Terminate-and-Stay-Resident Utilities in The MS-DOS Encyclopedia ISBN 1-55615-049-0 (I think there is a newer edition as well) >[2] Do you need special compilers for TSR? You probably want to be able to use either 1. assembly language, 2. assembly language from within your programming language, or 3. the possibility to link assembly language modules with your program. 4. Or, someone forbid, a language dedicated to writing TSRs. >[3] What books are recommended? The above-mentioned Encyclopedia, and several articles in Dr. Dobbs Journal and/or Computer Language. Also highly recommended is the documentation for the TesSeRact library mentioned below. >[4] Where can I find these books? >[5] Can anyone of you give me some pointers on TSR programming so > that I can get started? I think some examples of beginner's programming > on TSR would benefit me tremendously. I am just a beginner in this > field. So please don't talk to me in language so technical that I can't > understand. One of the very first things to do (when you want to create TSRs, that is) is to understand something about the inner workings of MS-DOS in its various incarnations. This probably involves what you are calling technical language. >Other helpful hints/pointers are welcomed. In one (or more) of the news groups there is a regularly updated list of all Interrupts (purpose and usage) for PC's. Try to get a hold of it and keep it online (I keep it at my fingertips as a Norton Guide). >All help is very much appreciated. You could also look into the EXCELLENT shareware effort TesSeRact (TSR) Libraries by TesSeRact Development Team c/o Chip Rabinowitz 2084 Woodlawn Avenue Glenside, PA 19038 where all the technical problems are solved for you (if you use one of the compilers they support). Hope this helps -- Reino -- Reino R. A. de Boer "We want to build the right product right, right?" Erasmus University Rotterdam ( Informatica ) e-mail: reino@cs.eur.nl