Hi Liam, > On Sep 30, 2024, at 8:08 AM, Liam Proven via Freedos-devel > <freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net> wrote: > [..] > GEM is misconfigured and doesn't work. That is easily fixable though. > It needs to know if it's running in a subdirectory, and currently it > installs to a subdirectory but is configured to run in root. I worked > around that by mapping drive G: to its folder, and then running it > from G: > > Seal and Ozone seemed incomplete and not worth having, along with > several others. > > PGME does work but I had problems with the mouse driver and with the > graphics mode and screen fonts. Personally I'd prefer to be able to > turn that stuff off and just run it in plain text mode, but I think I > suggested this and Jerome was very negative about the suggestions. :-( > I personally rate function above looks, and think minimal looks more > professional, but maybe that is just me.
This must have been a long while back. I apologize if I may have seemed negative about any suggestions you may have given. I always try to be very open about receiving comments on improving anything I’ve written. Obviously, this is not the same as agreeing with or implementing everything that is suggested. But, I do try and listen to them without imposing any of my own personal and biased opinions. While there is a little bit of similarity, I don’t feel that PGME is at all like GEM, Seal, Ozone or any of those other programs. They are all Desktop Environments. PGME is “just" a program and game launcher. Although PGME requires a EGA or better video card, it does not run in graphics mode. It is purely a text mode program. The included screen savers of run in graphics mode. However, they can be easily disabled. It is possible to add an option for PGME not to use any of its fonts. And if I remember to do it when I find the time, I will add that ability. It is also possible to add a setting for PGME to completely ignore a mouse. Again, if I remember when I find the time. Everything about PGME is about function. For a “simple” program launcher, it is very complex under the hood. It is built on top of a custom event driven object oriented framework I wrote in Turbo Pascal that is more like Delphi Forms than TurboVision. But not really like either. It has a context aware help system that bases the help screens on what controls are present. It also is completely customizable. It provides support for the end-user to modify everything from what gets displayed along with the size, position and colors. It also supports multiple languages in the interface and for the menu items themselves. I user can even rebind event commands to different actions or keystrokes to different event commands. Nearly all of that flexibility in PGME comes from the underlaying framework I created. That has its pros and cons. On the plus side, I recently updated the low level mouse routines in the framework to support Mouse Wheel Up/Down movement. When the wheel is scrolled, the framework generates either a Up or Down command event. That’s it. All done. Now the wheel works across the entire program. On the other hand, sometimes what may seem simple can be very complicated. Or, not even possible without major fundamental changes in the framework. Also, the underlaying framework (QuickCRT, aka QCrt) is not perfect. There are numerous areas I have not got around to doing. A great example can be seen in PGME with the Pop-Up Menus. At this time, you cannot navigate them using the arrow keys and must rely on keystroke->command->action bindings or the mouse. While a user “could” bind each of those menu items to a keystroke, that is not easy or practical. Adding that type of navigation is intended, but I need to get motivated and find the time to implement it. Some of the power, flexibility and functionality that PGME provides can be easily demonstrated. Simple execute the “Switch to KIOSK Mode” from the menu. This changes to a completely different visual Theme that simplifies the user interface. Locks out many options and prohibits termination. It even removes that menu item in favor of a “Switch out of KIOSK mode” menu item. You then can use the that item to switch back to the default mode and theme. :-) Jerome _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list Freedos-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
