DOS ain't dead

FlWriter version 1.2 tested (Announce)

posted by DOS386, 17.06.2012, 09:55

> 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 ***

Complete thread:

• FlWriter version 1.2 released - georgpotthast, 17.05.2012, 21:37 (Announce)
  • FlWriter version 1.2 released - Rugxulo, 18.05.2012, 05:43
    • FlWriter version 1.2 released - georgpotthast, 18.05.2012, 19:31
      • FlWriter version 1.2 released - RayeR, 19.05.2012, 14:54
        • FlWriter version 1.2 released - Rugxulo, 19.05.2012, 19:56
          • FlWriter version 1.2 released - RayeR, 20.05.2012, 00:56
            • FlWriter version 1.2 released - Rugxulo, 22.05.2012, 00:58
              • FlWriter version 1.2 released - RayeR, 22.05.2012, 01:40
  • FlWriter version 1.2 tested - DOS386, 17.06.2012, 09:55
    • FlWriter version 1.2 tested - Doug, 17.06.2012, 19:41