[Ann] Graphic Vision File Manager

[Jason Burgon]

I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
manager application - GVFM.EXE. New to this version is:

Full SBCS DOS codepage support.

A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set up
links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.

A large font for use with 1200x1024 and 1600x1200 video modes (or for those
with a visual disability).

Resisable file information pane fields.

GVFM is available from the "downloads" page of my website:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gvision/

Also available from the same page is my Graphic Vision(tm) Borland Pascal
application framework which includes the source code for an older version of
GVFM.

[Florian Xaver]

Very very good news... Thanks!
Flo

--
http://www.drdos.org

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
Full SBCS DOS codepage support.
A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set up
links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.
A large font for use with 1200x1024 and 1600x1200 video modes (or for those
with a visual disability).
Resisable file information pane fields.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gvision/
Also available from the same page is my Graphic Vision(tm) Borland Pascal
application framework which includes the source code for an older version of
GVFM.

[FreeDOSfan]

Jason Burgon wrote:

"I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical
file
manager application - GVFM.EXE. New to this version is:

Full SBCS DOS codepage support.

A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set
up
links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.
"

...

Seems to work in Free-DOS now. Did you fix it up
or is it the new EMM&HIMEM 2.08 ?

Without HIMEM, it outputs a "VCPI Error" followed by a mess.

Is this a TP BUG or a general problem of 16bit DPMI ???

32bit DPMI does NOT have this problem.

[Jason Burgon]

Post by FreeDOSfan

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical
Full SBCS DOS codepage support.
A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set
up links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.

Seems to work in Free-DOS now. Did you fix it up
or is it the new EMM&HIMEM 2.08 ?

I've done nothing, so (unsurprisingly) it was a buggy FreeDos HIMEM.SYS
and/or EMM386.EXE

Post by FreeDOSfan
Without HIMEM, it outputs a "VCPI Error" followed by a mess.
Is this a TP BUG or a general problem of 16bit DPMI ???

This is a problem with the particular DPMI16BI.OVL (which is actually a
version of DPMI32BI.VME supplied with the Borland 32-bit DOS Power Pack) I
recommend to use, and supply with GV DPMI applications.

As you note, it needs XMS services to work, but over the years my customers
and I have found other problems with the DPMI16BI.OVL provided with BP7,
Delphi 1 and others, such as no support for the DPMI function required to
map the LFB.

The XMS requirement is therefore the best compromise - one that most people
can live with I think. Feel free to try other versions of DPMI16BI.OVL and
DPMI32BI.VME (renamed to DPMI16BI.OVL) if you have access to any.

Post by FreeDOSfan
32bit DPMI does NOT have this problem.

Not even Borland C++ Power Pack applications?

[Michael Devore]

Post by Jason Burgon

Post by FreeDOSfan
Seems to work in Free-DOS now. Did you fix it up
or is it the new EMM&HIMEM 2.08 ?

I've done nothing, so (unsurprisingly) it was a buggy FreeDos HIMEM.SYS
and/or EMM386.EXE

No, it was not a bug in either HIMEM or EMM386. As posted on the FreeDOS
list, I coded HIMEM to work around an error in the GVFM code. Your
application, or the extender you use, does not gracefully handle resizing
failures on XMS blocks. The associated GVFM should check for error code
where it does not, since resizes are not guaranteed to be successful. The
error can still occur on any DOS platform, but since HIMEM was recoded in
FreeDOS, it should now be as unlikely (or likely) to happen with FreeDOS as
any other DOS.

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Michael Devore
No, it was not a bug in either HIMEM or EMM386. As posted on the
FreeDOS list, I coded HIMEM to work around an error in the GVFM
code. Your application, or the extender you use, does not gracefully
handle resizing failures on XMS blocks.

Well, the extender "handles it" by posting an error message and aborting.

Post by Michael Devore
The associated GVFM should check for error code where it does not,
since resizes are not guaranteed to be successful. The error can still
occur on any DOS platform, but since HIMEM was recoded in
FreeDOS, it should now be as unlikely (or likely) to happen with
FreeDOS as any other DOS.

So why was the previous version of HIMEM refusing the resize?

[Michael Devore]

Post by Jason Burgon
So why was the previous version of HIMEM refusing the resize?

Because resizes are never guaranteed to be successful, so there was not a
requirement to allow growth of an existing XMS block. Shrink support was
already present in FreeDOS HIMEM. I added code which allows HIMEM to grow
block size if sufficient free memory exists to gracefully extend the block
size.

If more carefully written, the extender would not iteratively grow a series
of XMS blocks in the manner it does. Assuming I properly recall debugging
sessions of many months ago, the extender started a series of 4K allocations
for a group of handles and grew them up to around 64K, 4K at a time. This
is not only woefully inefficient, but makes at least one assumption during
the allocation process that is not necessarily true (i.e. grows will always
succeed).

Even now with all DOS setups the possibility for improper failure of the
application still exists, either due to memory fragmentation, handle
exhaustion or a blocking allocation. The extender does not check the
returned error code on resize, as it should, so it may fail in circumstances
where it otherwise could continue without problem. The actual error lies
not within HIMEM, but in the extender itself.

[FreeDOSfan]

Jason Burgon wrote:

"I've done nothing, so (unsurprisingly) it was a buggy
FreeDos HIMEM.SYS and/or EMM386.EXE"

M. Devore has a different opinion on this problem. ;-)

I wrote:
"Without HIMEM, it outputs a "VCPI Error" followed by a mess."

Wrong, it is a "DPMI Error".

Jason Burgon wrote:
">> 32bit DPMI does NOT have this problem.

Post by Jason Burgon
Not even Borland C++ Power Pack applications?
"

Don't know. I was referring to CWSDPMI, DOS/32A and
HX-DOS extenders. EMM&HIMEM is not required, but
tolerated if present.

[Richard Bonner]

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
manager application - GVFM.EXE.

*** Does it require Windows to run or can any DOS version make usage of
it?

Richard Bonner
http://www.chebucto.ca/~ak621/DOS/

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Richard Bonner

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
manager application - GVFM.EXE.

*** Does it require Windows to run

No, that's why I said "my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical..." :-)

Post by Richard Bonner
or can any DOS version make usage of it?

Yes, but it requires XMS services, so you need to load HIMEM.SYS or some
other XMS driver. Also take a look at FastVid (also available from my
website) if you're running a PPro or PII (and possibly other CPU's as well)
since this might improve GVFM's graphics performance by a factor of 10 or
more.

[Richard Bonner]

Post by Jason Burgon

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
manager application - GVFM.EXE.

*** Does it require Windows to run?

No, that's why I said "my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical..." :-)

*** I saw that, but past experience dictates that some authors say that,
yet it turns out that their "DOS" program is really a Windows' DOS
*utility* and requires Windows.

The reason I wanted clarification was so that I could make a decision
as to whether to add it to my DOS "Websites" directory.

Post by Jason Burgon

or can any DOS version make usage of it?

Yes, but it requires XMS services, so you need to load HIMEM.SYS or some
other XMS driver.

*** That's no problem. Most any DOS setup from the early 1990s
forward would have such services available.

Post by Jason Burgon
Also take a look at FastVid (also available from my
website) if you're running a PPro or PII (and possibly other CPU's as well)
since this might improve GVFM's graphics performance by a factor of 10 or
more.
--
Jay

*** Excellent. Thanks for the tip. I shall add the URL later today.

Richard Bonner
http://www.chebucto.ca/~ak621/DOS/

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Richard Bonner

Post by Jason Burgon

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
manager application - GVFM.EXE.

*** Does it require Windows to run?

No, that's why I said "my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical..." :-)

*** I saw that, but past experience dictates that some authors say that,
yet it turns out that their "DOS" program is really a Windows' DOS
*utility* and requires Windows.

Yes, it was perhaps a little unclear. My intension was to exclude the
Windows NT line of O/S's.

Post by Richard Bonner

Post by Jason Burgon
Also take a look at FastVid (also available from my
website) if you're running a PPro or PII (and possibly other CPU's as well)
since this might improve GVFM's graphics performance by a factor of 10 or
more.

*** Excellent. Thanks for the tip. I shall add the URL later today.

Note that it's not just GVFM it could help, but all DOS applications (eg
many games) that use the Linear Frame Buffer that's available to most video
cards.

[Florian Xaver]

Hi!

On the bottom of the pages you posted: "This page was last updated on
21st November 2004". I found the project earlier, but thought, that it
would be dead! Please update it. Or write anywhere the news on your page!

Thanks!
Flo
--
http://www.drdos.org

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Florian Xaver
On the bottom of the pages you posted: "This page was last updated on
21st November 2004". I found the project earlier, but thought, that it
would be dead! Please update it. Or write anywhere the news on your page!

My, I never knew anyone read the small print! :-) Anyway, your wish is my
command and I've now updated my "downloads" page accordingly.

[Richard Bonner]

Post by Jason Burgon

Post by Florian Xaver
On the bottom of the pages you posted: "This page was last updated on
21st November 2004". I found the project earlier, but thought, that it
would be dead! Please update it.

My, I never knew anyone read the small print! :-)

*** WHAT! ? It's the *best* part of The Internet. (-:

Richard Bonner
http://www.chebucto.ca/~ak621/DOS/

[FreeDOSfan]

Jason Burgon wrote:

"

Post by Florian Xaver
Hi!
What is this page... ?
http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe/mkm/mkmeng.html#GrVision210

A buggy thing that has nothing to do with me.

--
Jay
"

And this:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/gvision

**********

And, thanks to M. Devore for clarifying problems with GV & FREE-DOS,
as well as providing FREE-DOS EMM & HIMEM .

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Jason Burgon
"

Post by Florian Xaver
Hi!
What is this page... ?
http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe/mkm/mkmeng.html#GrVision210

A buggy thing that has nothing to do with me.
--
Jay
"
http://sourceforge.net/projects/gvision

Same thing. You can tell the difference by the "s" on the end of
"Graphic[s]".

Post by Jason Burgon
And, thanks to M. Devore for clarifying problems with GV & FREE-DOS,
as well as providing FREE-DOS EMM & HIMEM .

Agreed.

[Florian Xaver]

Hi again!

Tried Mahjong - but, it has old rtm.exe and dpmi16bi.ovl ... so it
crashes with runtime errors!

Bye
Flo

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
Full SBCS DOS codepage support.
A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set up
links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.
A large font for use with 1200x1024 and 1600x1200 video modes (or for those
with a visual disability).
Resisable file information pane fields.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gvision/
Also available from the same page is my Graphic Vision(tm) Borland Pascal
application framework which includes the source code for an older version of
GVFM.

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Florian Xaver
Hi again!
Tried Mahjong - but, it has old rtm.exe and dpmi16bi.ovl ... so it
crashes with runtime errors!

Yes, it also contains an old version of mahjong.exe for some strange reason.
Mahjong.zip has been updated accordingly.

[Florian Xaver]

Hi!

What is this page... ?
http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe/mkm/mkmeng.html#GrVision210

Bye
Flo

Post by Jason Burgon
I've just released the latest version of my DOS/Win9x/ME graphical file
Full SBCS DOS codepage support.
A Windows-like fully customisable "Start Menu" that allows you to set up
links to your favourite programs, batch files and text documents.
A large font for use with 1200x1024 and 1600x1200 video modes (or for those
with a visual disability).
Resisable file information pane fields.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gvision/
Also available from the same page is my Graphic Vision(tm) Borland Pascal
application framework which includes the source code for an older version of
GVFM.

[Jason Burgon]

Post by Florian Xaver
Hi!
What is this page... ?
http://www.math.uni-magdeburg.de/~mkoeppe/mkm/mkmeng.html#GrVision210

A buggy thing that has nothing to do with me.

--
Jay

Author of Graphic Vision
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gvision/