Liren Large Software Subsidy 15/15.iso/s/s165/1.ddi/HELPME!.DOC

Text File | 1990-10-29 | 9.9 KB | 200 lines

/***********************************************************************/
              TURBO PROFILER 1.0 COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
              -----------------------------------------------

  Below is a list of most commonly asked questions about Turbo Profiler.
  Following this list is an explanation of some of the new mouse features
  in Turbo Profiler 1.0.

  1. How does TPROF handle screen output for graphics- and text-based
     programs?

     Turbo Profiler has a number of strategies that it can use to
     control how and when the screen gets refreshed. If you are
     debugging a program that uses a graphics display mode or if
     you want to use Borland pop-up utilities such as SideKick
     and SideKick Plus while inside Turbo Profiler, you should
     review the following tips.

     The default screen-updating mode is "Flip"; this means that
     Turbo Profiler uses an alternate video display page on
     adapters that support multiple display pages. This results
     in fast screen-swapping between Turbo Profiler and your
     program, but it also can interfere with the operation of
     pop-up utilities and graphics programs.

     Pop-up utilities may not appear on the screen, even though
     they are active and processing your keystrokes. You must
     select "Swap" mode for display-updating in order for pop-ups
     to work properly. Use Turbo Profiler's -ds command-line
     option to do this, or use the TFINST utility to permanently
     set this mode. "Swap" mode makes screen updating slower, but
     it makes sure that Turbo Profiler's screen does not
     interfere with either your program's or any other program's
     display.

     You may also need to use "Swap" when you use the DOS Shell
     command or run an editor from within TPROF. Most programs
     expect to run on video page 0, and do not check to see what
     the current video page is. TPROF's DOS Shell and any editors
     that TPROF runs in "Flip" mode do not run from video page 0,
     and the programs may appear to hang, even though you will be
     able to type in keystrokes normally. If this happens, use
     the -ds command-line option when you run TPROF or reinstall TPROF
     to use "Swap" instead of "Flip."

     If you are debugging a graphics mode application, you must
     specify the -ds command-line option ("Swap" contents) and
     you may want to use Turbo Profiler's -vg command-line
     option (Graphics Save). This causes additional memory to be
     set aside for saving the entire graphics image your
     program produces. If you don't use this option, a "red
     cloud" may appear on your program's screen. These options
     can also be set permanently by using the TFINST program.
     The Graphics Save option takes an additional 8K of memory
     and slows screen-swapping.

     If you are running a graphics program that changes the EGA
     palette, make sure you use the -vp command line option to
     save the palette.

  2. Can Turbo Profiler execute other programs while you are
     still using the profiler?

     The DOS Shell and Edit commands in the Module and File
     windows can swap the program you are debugging to disk in
     order to make room to run DOS or your editor. The default
     amount of memory to swap is 128K. You can use TFINST to set a
     different amount if that's not enough memory to run your
     editor or other programs. Setting the swap size to 0K tells
     Turbo Profiler to swap the entire user program to disk
     before running the DOS command processor.

     Only your program gets swapped to disk; Turbo Profiler
     remains in memory.

  3. How can I break out of a program even though interrupts are
     disabled?

     If you have an 80386-chip-based computer and are using
     TF386, option -B allows break even when interrupts are
     disabled. For example, this option enables a break from

       CLI
       JMP $

  4. Why can't I press Ctrl-Break to get out of a program
     running on a remote machine?

     The program running in the remote machine has taken control
     of Interrupt 1B (Ctrl-Break). TFREMOTE does not take back
     control of Interrupt 1B until you stop execution of the
     running program on the profiler side by completing the
     program or pressing Ctrl-F2 (Program Reset).

  5. What is the most likely reason for Turbo Profiler to hang
     when starting up on a PC-compatible computer?

     If your computer is a Tandy 1000A, IBM PC Convertible, or
     NEC MultiSpeed, or if TPROF hangs when loading on your system,
     run TFINST and change the item in the Options|Miscellaneous
     menu so that NMI Intercept is not set. Some computers use
     the NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) in ways that conflict with TPROF,
     so you must disable TPROF's use of this interrupt in order to
     run the program.

     Also, if you are using a 80386-based machine and have the
     SuperKey utility loaded, be careful not to press a key when
     TF386 is loading, since SuperKey may capture the keystroke
     and cause unexpected results.


*    Common questions about using mouse support in Turbo Profiler 1.0.

Turbo Profiler 1.0 provides mouse support that allows you to manipulate
elements within the user interface. The following lists mouse-related
terms to help you become accustomed to Turbo Profiler's mouse support.

If you have a mouse driver installed by default, Turbo Profiler and TFINST
will try to use your mouse. If you do not wish to use your mouse during a
debugging session, you can use the command-line switch '-p-' to turn the
mouse off. This can also be set in TFINST in the Options|Input & prompting
dialog box.

Clicking and Dragging
    Most mice provide two or three buttons that allow for various
    functions inside an application. In Turbo Profiler you can,
    among other things, use the left mouse button to select options,
    move items around on the screen, and set breakpoints. The right
    mouse button has some of the same functionality as the left mouse
    button, but you can also open local menus within windows using
    this button. Double clicking the mouse on options in a list will
    select that item. For instance, in the File|Open dialog box you
    can highlight a file by clicking the mouse once on the file name.
    You can load the file by double clicking on the name. The commands
    shown at the bottom of the screen, like F1-Help, can also be selected
    using the mouse. Dragging the mouse consists of depressing the mouse
    button and moving the mouse cursor to a new location.

Mouse drivers
    Your mouse driver is the application that you install to make your
    mouse active inside Turbo Profiler and other programs. Most mouse
    drivers will work with Turbo Profiler but may have to be updated to
    a newer version if you are using an older version and having problems.
    If you have problems with the mouse once you have loaded TPROF or
    TFINST, you might try using the Display Swap option that can be
    specified either in TFINST or on the command-line with the -ds switch.
    Consult your mouse manual to ensure proper use of the mouse and its
    driver. Early versions of mouse drivers don't support screen
    display modes larger than 80 columns by 24 lines. As a result, your
    mouse driver might not work correctly when you use Turbo Profiler's
    enhanced display modes EGA 80x43, VGA 80x50, or EGA/VGA graphics
    modes.

Scroll bars
    Scroll bars, located at the right and bottom of all windows, allow
    you to specify a new position within a window by clicking the mouse
    on an indicator on the scroll bar and dragging it to a new location.
    Arrows located at either end of a scroll bar also allow you to scroll
    through the window when you click and hold the mouse on the arrow heads.

Icons
    An icon is a window that has been shrunk down to a smaller
    representation of the window. These icons can be moved around
    with the mouse by clicking on the border of the icon and dragging
    it to a new location.  Arrows located at the top right of each
    viewer allow you to zoom and unzoom the viewer when you click the
    mouse on the arrows. When you iconize a window, it is stored at the
    bottom right side of the screen. If any other windows are currently
    showing at this position, the icon will be put behind that viewer.
    The global Window menu allows you to pick from a list of currently
    open windows. This will also take you to an iconized window.

Resize box
    The resize box is located at the bottom right of each window. You
    can click the mouse on the box and drag the mouse to resize the
    viewer. Using the mouse you can also resize the viewer by clicking
    the mouse on the right border of any window and dragging it. Windows
    and inspectors can be moved using the mouse by clicking on the top
    and left borders and dragging the window to a new location. Double
    clicking the mouse on the top border is a short cut to zoom/unzoom
    the current window.

Dialog boxes
    Dialog boxes allow you to select options, specify files to save or
    restore, and choose different settings. You can click the mouse to
    make prompts or panes within the dialog box active. Help for the
    current dialog box is available by clicking on the Help button
    in the box.

Close buttons
    A Close button is located at the top left of all windows and dialog
    boxes. It lets you close the current window or dialog box when you
    click the mouse on it. If you have entered any information into a
    dialog box and you use the Close button to close it, the settings
    you specified in the dialog box will not be saved. This is the same
    as clicking the mouse on the Cancel button inside a dialog box.
    You must select the Ok button in dialog boxes in order to save
    these settings.