From: tmurphy@well.sf.ca.us (Thomas Murphy)
Subject: Re: Request for deveopment tool advice
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 17:03:03 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.112144.1@skyler.mavd.honeywell.com> djbailey@skyler.mavd.honeywell.com writes:
>The Problem
>
>I  want  to  change the user interface of a CPU intensive application
>running  under MS-DOS to support a mouse and display simple graphics.
>I  am an experienced programmer but have little MS-DOS experience and
>no  Windows  experience.  I am looking for advice on what tools would
>make the job easier. 
>
>I  prefer  to  use tools I already have so I don't have to go through
>the  accounting  and  sign-off  process  but  I  can  spend money for
>something  new  if  the  tool  is  worth it. I have to learn some new
>development  package  but I don't want to learn a half dozen in order
>to pick one. (I'm looking for the right FM to RT.)
>
>	The Application
>
>My application is a C program. It is CPU intensive with limited user
>interaction. I can tolerate a 33% loss of efficiency to improve the
>user interface. We are adding the ability to accept interrupts from
>some  special  devices.  The  application  will  display  text  in a
>scrolling  window  and  will sometimes ask the user to enter a small
>string. 
>
>We  have  moved the application from VAX/VMS to MS-DOS 5.0. I want to
>add  about  20  virtual  lighted  buttons and detect mouse clicks and
>function  keys  to  set  or  reset the 20 buttons. I need a small 1/4
>screen area to display the buttons that will not get disturbed by the
>application's scrolling text.
>
>The Tools Available.
>
>The application was written in Microsoft C version 7.0. We have the 
>Windows  Development  Kit  and class libraries that come with version
>7.0.  We  also have purchased a copy of C-Worthy. We have a shareware
>package called the Window Boss for evaluation. We have LabWindows
>available.
>
>I have demo packages for Vermont Views, Panel Plus II, and HIM (Human
>Interface  Manager).  I  have  read the articles in the September and
>October  1991  issues  of  Computer Language magazine about Interface
>Building tools and I am still uncertain about which tools to use.
>
>I  am  presently  digging  into  the  documentation  for  the Windows
>Development  Kit.  I hope for some guidence to shorten my search. Any
>general  advice  for  a  first-time  Windows  developer would also be
>appreciated.
>
>Hopefully posted by Don J. Bailey of Honeywell Inc. (Minneapolis).


We are just embarking on a new look of GUI development tools and class
libraries in CL but it won't be around until January....so here are some
general comments.  If you want to stay in DOS and not mess with Windows but
still have the oportunity to move there in the future look at the Zinc
library.   It will allow you to develop your application for DOS (graphics
or text mode) and Windows all with the same code.  It will do all that you
need and is straight forward in its use.  They have a nice interface design
tool which will take care of the look end of things and the class library
keeps you from needing to be a windows expert.  You can call hem at
801-785-8900, they have a demo.  If you decide you want to work with Windows
and leave DOS behind you should also look at WindowsMaker 4.0.  It does all
of the screen layout...you will still need to fill in the blanks in the
WinMain proc and set up the funcitons called for various actions but it will
shield you a cetain amount.  There is a bit to learn to get going in windows
but once you have the basic idea down you will find it to be quite liveable.
 You should also see no change in performance with the change... though you
may end up being a "hog" of the processor to do it since any time sensitive
actions need to grab the processor and not release it until finished do to
the task switching time slice nature of windows.

tom
-- 
Thomas Murphy
Product Review Editor - Computer Language Magazine
Technical Editor - AI Expert
600 Harrison St., San Francisco, CA 94107