nanogui: Thread: Flmwin problems

Hi all,

Four months ago, I started with Microwindows/Win32 API.
I wanted to port this on a custom 68060 board.
We (me and Ghassan Bakhos) have made the following work :
* make the microwindows demo (microwindows-0.89pre7.tar.gz) run on the 
  host P.C. (DOS/DJGPP); create a library for the files.
  [compiler flags : -DERAZEMOVE -DMSDOS -DDOS_DJGPP -DWIN32 
  -DHAVE_VSNPRINTF=0 -DUPDATEREGIONS=1]
* port this to the 68k target (drivers and some glue for basic OS 
  support) with Cygwin cross gcc/68k.
* get flmwin (fltk-mwin32-pre5.tar.gz) and compile it on the 
  host P.C. (DOS/DJGPP). create a library for the files.
  compiler flags : [-DERAZEMOVE -DMSDOS -DDOS_DJGPP -DWIN32]
* do the same job again with the target.
* create some sample windows and widgets with Fluid (Win32) an try this 
  on the host and then on the target.
(if anyone is interested with any part of this, just ask).

1) I still have some blocking problems, and I would like to know the 
status of this :

* keyboard input does not seem to work; driver is called and gives the 
  ASCII code but it seems to be lost in some upper layer. 
  Microwindows demo's input runs, but not the flmwin input (Fl_Input).

* menus : floating menus seem to work (Fl_Menu_Button, Fl_Choice), but 
  not the menubar (Fl_Menu_Bar) : first level labels are visible but
  items and submenus don't come on mouse click.

* overlay : I tried to make the overlay demo of Fluid run on 
  flmwin/microwindows but I did'nt get it working : the overlay shape is 
  drawn but not cleared when moving it. I suppose this has something to 
  do with double buffering but perhaps this feature needs specific 
  "#defines" as configuration in microwindows ?

2) I would like to go ahead and build a complete app.
I need to design the target GUI on the Windows-based host [where I have
all the office stuff and apps].
Making this GUI run on the host first (in a DJGPP/DOS dialog box) is great 
and saves very much time.
I read the mailing list since february but Win32-API discussions 
seems to be quite rare and Flmwin tar has migrated to /historic...
Does it mean that Win32-API is going down in the future ?
In this situation, would you advise me to keep on working with
Win32-API or to restart with flnx/nano-X ?
Some basic questions are :
* Is it possible to design with a Win32 based tool (FLUID) and then 
  run the generated code on FLNX/Nano-X ?
* What is the more work, if any, to make Nano-x and FLNX run in DJGPP 
  environment (same drivers as mwin ?) 

Regards,

Luc

I read the mailing list since february but Win32-API discussions
> seems to be quite rare and Flmwin tar has migrated to /historic...
> Does it mean that Win32-API is going down in the future ?

Absolutely not.  In fact, it has had a resurgence of activity as of late.  I 
know that the next release of Microwindows will have a ton of win32 API bug 
fixes and enhancements.

As for the Flmwin situation, Greg Haerr was working on that, and I'm not sure 
what the current status is.

> In this situation, would you advise me to keep on working with
> Win32-API or to restart with flnx/nano-X ?

It depends on your willingness to switch horses in midstream.  It sounds like 
you are more familiar with the win32 side, so I would go with that.  At this 
point, the Nano-X side is a little more supported, but remember that at one 
time, it wasn't supported either.  It takes good people like you to show 
confidence in the win32 side so we can push it into the spotlight a little 
more.

> Some basic questions are :
> * Is it possible to design with a Win32 based tool (FLUID) and then
>   run the generated code on FLNX/Nano-X ?

FLUID comes as part of the FLTK project, and it should be spitting out only 
FLTK compatible code.  That code should work with any FLTK compatible project 
(including FLNX).

> * What is the more work, if any, to make Nano-x and FLNX run in DJGPP
>   environment (same drivers as mwin ?)

As long as you have all the posix compatible libraries available (and it 
sounds like you do), you should have no problems making Nano-X run.  Remember 
that both Nano-X and the win32 API share the same drivers and engine, they 
just differ at the topmost level.  You should be able to get Nano-X to work 
with few problems.

Good luck!
Jordan

PS: Send in your DJGPP patches so we can add them to the project.  

O

On Wed, 18 Jul 2001, Jordan Crouse wrote:
> As long as you have all the posix compatible libraries available (and it 
> sounds like you do), you should have no problems making Nano-X run.  Remember 
> that both Nano-X and the win32 API share the same drivers and engine, they 
> just differ at the topmost level.  You should be able to get Nano-X to work 
> with few problems.

Only in "app linked into server" mode though (which implies that you
won't be able to use the window manager either, unlike on the Win32 API
where the window manager is built into the server).

-- 
------- Alex Holden -------
http://www.linuxhacker.org/
 http://www.robogeeks.org/