On Saturday, August 15, 2020 12:55 PM, Eric Auer e.a...@jpberlin.de wrote:
> Hi!
Hey there!
> ...
>
>> Instead of an official FreeDOS graphics card, perhaps a standard FreeDOS
>> graphics API and/or Window Manager. This would build upon the VBE by giving
>> developers a handful of routines callable...
>
> What you describe is best implemented as a library.
Usually, yes. But...
> For example you do not want to search the list of VESA VBE graphics modes for
> a nice true-color LFB mode, or you do not want to have to check which bit per
> pixel depth is available. Then you could write a library which does that for
> you, something like "specify which resolution and depth you support at least
> / at most, then call the library to get the highest resolution mode in that
> range" :-) Actually VESA VBE works quite well, it just is sometimes a bit
> tedious to use in protected mode context such as DJGPP GNU C. Even then, you
> only have to figure it out once, then enjoy ;-) Visual effects, scrolling
> etc. are classic tasks for graphics libraries. The question is which classic
> libraries are popular in DOS and which of them support full HD and higher
> VESA modes? It is not common to put such libraries into TSR or drivers in
> DOS. The usual way is to just link the library in your binary.
... if it were a TSR as opposed to this, then we eliminate the overhead
incurred by including the same code in each and every application. Also, if
window management features are included, a TSR opens up more possibilities for
customization. For example, different flavors of this TSR could exist, each
implementing a different style for drawing windows and other UI elements,
allowing the user to choose which to use and enabling all the applications in
use on their system which support such to maintain a consistent theme.
> VESA VBE does tend to support high resolution modes, but this has a tendency
> to offer mostly 4:3 and classic modes. In modern times, only OS installers
> are the target audience.
At present, yes. But if this capability were available, a whole new generation
of apps could become available.
> Modifications of graphics modes on modern hardware (think svgatextmode) can
> be VERY vendor dependent and convoluted. You do not want to do that.
> ...
I completely agree there lol
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