The Sinclair QL Forum

pjw wrote:

dilwyn wrote:Thanks for publishing this information Per.

I just updated the "article"! However, no need to trouble you with it again: I just cut some of the waffle and added the most informative bits from my clarification to Derek. So anyone whod like to support PACs (and/or any of the rest) can find the info in one place.

Sure, I get that. I just don't get time to keep up these days

Some recent additions, updates, tweaks, and bug fixes at Knoware.no
Nothing to shout "hurrah" for. Most of you can just continue to ignore it, as usual

pjw wrote:Some recent additions, updates, tweaks, and bug fixes at Knoware.no
Nothing to shout "hurrah" for. Most of you can just continue to ignore it, as usual

FSEL is a very good one. It was always very annoying, that such programs could only be set in the primary windows of the main program (which wasn't during the first versions of PE and Wman, I still do not know, why that was changed...). What would you do, if that is a little window and you want to load a file? Horrible.

RalfR wrote:

pjw wrote:Some recent additions, updates, tweaks, and bug fixes at Knoware.no<>

FSEL is a very good one. It was always very annoying, that such programs could only be set in the primary windows of the main program (which wasn't during the first versions of PE and Wman, I still do not know, why that was changed...). What would you do, if that is a little window and you want to load a file? Horrible.

Thanks, RalfR. I find it quite useful myself

pjw wrote:

RalfR wrote:

pjw wrote:Some recent additions, updates, tweaks, and bug fixes at Knoware.no<>

FSEL is a very good one. It was always very annoying, that such programs could only be set in the primary windows of the main program (which wasn't during the first versions of PE and Wman, I still do not know, why that was changed...). What would you do, if that is a little window and you want to load a file? Horrible.

Thanks, RalfR. I find it quite useful myself

It would be a lot more simple (for me!), if I can just get a $xxx with the the supplied name back (e.g a file name) as an address to retry it from there (or have I musunderstand it?). Most of the times, one wants to get a valid filename, I think (even I).

RalfR wrote:

pjw wrote:

RalfR wrote:FSEL is a very good one. <>

It would be a lot more simple (for me!), if I can just get a $xxx with the the supplied name back (e.g a file name) as an address to retry it from there (or have I musunderstand it?). Most of the times, one wants to get a valid filename, I think (even I).

Im not quite sure what youre asking here (eg whats $xxx?) FSEL can return the selected file name in two ways: 1. Via the stuffer buffer. Get the file name by pressing ALT+SPACE (or programmatically with HOT_GETSTUFF$), or 2. By providing the address of a suitable buffer on the command line and getting the file name at that address. Theres no other easy way (I can think of) to have the file name returned like a function call, if thats what you were thinking, and at the same time have the sort of control over the FSEL job that the program currently gives you.

Ah yes, I understand. I just thought of "fname$=FSEL...." but the way with "HOT_GETSTUFF$" is also ok, so possible to put that into a string variable.

HOT_GETSTUFF$, however, carries a serious risk of a race condition, as the stuffer buffer is public (and could be changed/cleared by any job anytime). A pointer to a private buffer would be safer.

tofro wrote:HOT_GETSTUFF$, however, carries a serious risk of a race condition, as the stuffer buffer is public (and could be changed/cleared by any job anytime). A pointer to a private buffer would be safer.

Sure. Its possible. Cant say Ive ever noticed. Any particular program that youre thinking of that updates the stuffer buffer in the background at any time? Id rather take such programs to task as it seems to me that that is not how the stuffer buffer is meant to be used, considering your valid reservations above.

Clearly, with sloppy programming, one could cause a program using FSEL to omit getting its file name from the stuffer buffer immediately on exiting FSEL, thus allowing another instance, or a different program, to interfere, resulting in the first program ending up with the wrong file name. But I wouldnt recommend that kind of programming

Anyway, wherever that is feared to be a problem theres always option 2. as described in a previous post.

QPAC2's "Files" is such a candidate that updates the stuffer buffer, even if you only <CTRL>-C through it. But yes, you have that other method, which is perfectly fine.