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Re: WHy not take executor into Windows?
On Thu, 4 May 1995, Robert Moldenhauer +1 608-264-8971 wrote:
> I've noticed that executor still runs as a Dos application, why? It's the only
> Dos application I have on my machine now, but I remember the old days, every
> application used to have it's own printer drivers, fonts, etc. It was a mess.
> If you fully integrated it into windows you could take advantage of the
> intalled Sound drivers, printer, fonts etc.
>
Basically, Executor uses the DOS system in a manner a game
usually would - it uses direct video access, DOS extenders, etc...
(broad generalization of a tired brain :)
The main way to use Windows would be to make Executor a
WinG-based application, which is designed to make games faster through
the use of the bitblt function. This would allow a relatively fast
vdriver to be written for Executor/Win32.
There may also be compiler problems - Executor is compiled under
gcc, which it takes advantage of (hence, the use of DJGPP for DOS).
Until gcc is fully ported to Win32, an Executor/Win32 port will be much
more difficult.
(Forget about running Executor on top of 16-bit Windows sans Win32s
- Executor NEEDS 32-bit code, and in fact creates it for the native-code
based code compilation which it uses nowadays.)
- Chad,
posting after a 2-hour ride home from a 2 day Youth to Youth
conference... and quite tired!
References: