Newsgroups: comp.os.vms,comp.sys.dec,nz.comp,comp.windows.x
Subject: help: problem decwindows task output box's
From: claridge@wronz.org.nz
Date: 29 Jul 92 14:56:01 +1200


*******    Note cross posts, please reply by e-mail  ********


We have found an annoying `undocumented feature' in DECWINDOWS, and
we really *HOPE* someone has a simple solution.  

Context: running DCL tasks (including compiled code, but not windowing
specifically) from FILEVIEW.

We want several output groupings (say from different sections of a DCL
command structure, etc) to go to different TASK OUTPUT boxes. Seems
straight forward enough, problems are as follows:

1) Can not have output from a single job directed to different boxes
(i.e. only one active box per job)

2) OK, so (1) not too much problem, we can always dump the task box
using VUE$POPDOWN, then start another with VUE$POPUP.  
*OH NO YOU CANT*, when we VUE$POPDOWN the task box stays popped down,
forever!!!  VUE$POPUP, etc,etc DONT BLOODY WORK ANYMORE!

I have included rudimentary, simplified DCL procedure outlining the
problem below.  

If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.

Please reply via e-mail, for some reason I can get out onto NEWS, but
we loose much of the incoming (currently being fixed I hope) If
sufficient interest and ME2s I'll summarize later.

Oh, We run DECWINDOWS under VAX VMS 5.4-3, I dont know the version of
decwindows (does it have a separate version number?)

Thanks, Robert.

$!------------------------- cut here ----------------------------------
$!	to show simple form of VUE$POPDOWN bug
$!
$  w = "write sys$output"
$!
$  vue$popup_focus      !this instruction is not necessary
$!
$  w "This statement always prints out in the TASK OUTPUT BOX, 
$  w " but if I now have a VUE$POPDOWN command no output commands in the rest"
$  w " of the procedure will get sent to a TASK OUTPUT BOX."
$  w ""
$  w "If input is required (e.g a DCL INQUIRE command) for the task that should
$  w " be running in the TASK OPUTPUT BOX, then the procedure will hang"
$  w ""
$!
$  vue$popup_confirm "Continue ?"
$  vue$read waste 		!only purpose is to pause at this point
$!
$  vue$popdown			!comment this line out to see the effect
$!
$  vue$popup_focus      
$!
$! this instruction above is not necessary, but put in to show the problem
$! persists even with an explicit 'open' instruction.  The only difference is
$! that with this instruction an empty TASK OUTPUT BOX is created, that accepts
$! no input, nor displays the following text.  Without this instruction, the
$! process also hangs but doesn't create an empty TASK OUTPUT BOX
$!
$  w "Only if the VUE$POPDOWN is deleted can I get this output"
$  w "to appear in a TASK OUTPUT BOX"  
$  w ""
$  w "The following INQUIRE will cause the process to `hang' waiting for"
$  w "response to the DCL prompt, which is not visible, nor will a response be"
$  w "accepted anyway. "
$  w "The work around is to accept that all DCL propmts and outputs from a"
$  w "program run from fileview MUST go to the one task output box."
$  w ""
$  w " Practically, one removes the VUE$POPDOWN command"
$  w ""
$!
$!  inquire stp "*> Stop now ?"  !simple example of input requirement
$!
$  vue$popup_confirm "Stop now ?"
$  vue$read waste 		!only purpose is to pause at this point
$ exit
$!----------------------------     cut here       -----------------

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Robert Burling-Claridge, WRONZ, Lincoln, NZ.

e-mail : CLARIDGE@WRONZ.ORG.NZ
snail  : Wool Research Organisation of NZ, 
	 Private Bag, Christchurch, New Zealand

"Why would anyone need a computer of their own ? " -- Ken Olsen, 1974.

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