DOS ain't dead

I implemented the suggestions regarding FlWriter in the other thread and released version 1.2 of FlWriter now: FlWriter 1.2

List of changes:

- can import Microsoft docx and Openoffice odt files now
- calls Ghostscript to display PDF and PS files on the screen
- linked unrtf into FlWriter instead of being a separate utility
- f.bat calls HDPMI to gain more memory when opening a DOS shell
- reduced size of gs386.exe
- italic text is now correctly written into the PS file
- does not remove empty lines in the text when saving

So go ahead and give it a try

Georg

> I implemented the suggestions regarding FlWriter in the other thread and
> released version 1.2 of FlWriter now:
> FlWriter
> 1.2

> - f.bat calls HDPMI to gain more memory when opening a DOS shell

But it also has old CWSDPMI.EXE from 2000. I realize including it is probably still intentional as many DJGPP apps call it by default, but perhaps it should at least be a newer release (r5 2008 if not r7)?

I guess I got this version when downloading DJGPP. But I can try a newer version.

Georg

> I guess I got this version when downloading DJGPP. But I can try a newer
> version.
>
> Georg

Yes but DJGPP FTP doesn't serve most recent versions. You have to look on other sites...

BTW will be some update of Dillo too, please?

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> Yes but DJGPP FTP doesn't serve most recent versions. You have to look on
> other sites...

Of CWSDPMI? Then what's this?


v2misc/csdpmi7b.zip CWSDPMI - DPMI server 70 kb

> Of CWSDPMI? Then what's this?
>
>
> v2misc/csdpmi7b.zip CWSDPMI - DPMI server 70 kb

OK but latest gcc and djdev-cvs...

EDIT

Well, gcc 4.7.0 became oficial :)
http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.msdos.djgpp/browse_thread/thread/9dc2c37557888800#

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> EDIT
>
> Well, gcc 4.7.0 became oficial :)
> http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.msdos.djgpp/browse_thread/thread/9dc2c37557888800#

Barely. No Ada support, and it's basically the exact same pre-release that Andris already made a month ago. I'm not complaining, but I don't know how reliable it is. :-/

> Barely. No Ada support, and it's basically the exact same pre-release that
> Andris already made a month ago. I'm not complaining, but I don't know how
> reliable it is. :-/

I know it's the same, he wrote on djgpp gropup that it was just an upload. I don't use ADA so don't care. I tested it on x264/ffmpeg/mupdf and it seems to work fine (this huge packages should reveal some error if present).

---
DOS gives me freedom to unlimited HW access.

> I implemented the suggestions regarding FlWriter in the other thread and
> released version 1.2 of FlWriter now

Cool

Minimal test:

+ DOS GUI app

+ It runs and does something (shows text with styles and images, can edit it)

- The beepers are intrusive and ugly

- It spawns or tries to spawn many things (GS, UNZIP, ...) ... big trouble if "something" goes wrong (file not found, no space for the "DGJ000000" file, ...)

- Apparently I can edit just one text, on "NEW" it pressures me to save, on "OPEN" and "IMPORT" not

- DOCX and ODT are imported with limited styles, but without layout and without images, some "import" files crash or hang FL (CTL-BREAK usually still works, at least)

- Broken screens when importing / spawning

- Loading or importing incompatible files behaves unpredictably, no file type validation (some other more "professional" Office programs also have this BUG )

? Firefox can display those FLXHTML documents with images

Suggestions:

* Make the beepers more decent

* Make the fact "changes pending for saving" visible

* Merge "IMPORT" and "OPEN" dialogs into "LOAD file into editor"

* Pressure to save on both "LOAD" and "NEW empty document" ("Unsaved changes in memory: [S]save [D]iscard [B]ack")

* Detect file type (FLXHTML, DOC, DOCX, ODT, RTFM, PS, PDF, CHM, HTML, other) and behave appropriately:
** Loading FLXHTML
** Old world DOC unsupported
** Importing DOCX
** Importing ODT
** Importing RTFM
** Importing PS (needs GS)
** Importing PDF (needs GS)
** CHM unsupported
** Loading HTML (without images)
** File type not identified: [I]mport as text or [A]bort

* Use ".DOX" for DOCX documents (".DOC" is a bad idea as it's the same as different old DOC documents have)

* Use zlib instead of spawning UNZIP (easy? same trick with GS would be more difficult ...)

* Before spawning GS, check whether it's available, and don't spawn if not ("This feature needs GS386.EXE file")

My testsuite: http://jafile.com/uploads/dos386/dcdoxodt.zip (1.4 MiB)

---
This is a LOGITECH mouse driver, but some software expect here
the following string:*** This is Copyright 1983 Microsoft ***

Yup, some things to iron out, but i'm impressed with the continuing evolvement of FlWriter -- particularly in accessing newer document formats (DOCX, ODT) and exporting to modern standards (PS, PDF). Imagine that... in DOS!

If i can offer some additional suggestions:

o Regarding my previous feedback: I appreciate the added comment about the Esc key in the ReadMe, but i feel the need to reiterate the dangerousness of its behavior in this application: one slip of the finger, and *everything* is gone... without a pause or warning message... no matter what we're doing! I think DOS users tend to be more used to Esc presses "backing out" of whatever we're currently doing in a step-by-step manner. If not that, could Esc perhaps be trapped and a confirmation box displayed indicating that the program is about to terminate?

o As text entry is inherently keyboard based, it might enhance the experience of typing documents to have the following common DOS keyboard-entry functions:

- word left/right (typically Ctrl-left, Ctrl-right)
- top/end of document (typically Ctrl-Home, Ctrl-End)
- top/bot of page (typically Ctrl-PgUp, Ctrl-PgDn)

If these were available as key presses, one could more-efficiently stay on the keyboard rather than move off it to find the mouse, grab it, move it, and then return to the keyboard. (Or instead of moving character-by-character/row-by-row/page-by-page with the cursor keys to get somewhere.)

o A "mark all" function would similarly be very handy for making global changes... it would be especially time/effort-saving in longer documents.

Just some thoughts. Thanks again -- FlWriter is getting better and better!

- Doug B.