HOW_TO.TXT  6-14-93

Read the whole file concepts apply for all languages.

Why use CONDOR at all?

CONDOR may have some drawbacks but it provides high-res graphics from within
TEXT files and sound too!  CONDOR provides a COMMON GRAPHICS LANGUAGE for
applications to communicate  to users with,  this is sorely needed in the
online world as it is struggling with many custom terms to access this or that
BBS system.  CONDOR can also be used on BBS system so a SYSOP can SEE the
graphics locally BUT it's not required that a BBS be using CONDOR locally to
have Condor graphics in message bases and or as menus.  Think of CONDOR as a
SUPER-POWERFUL ANSI-SYS.   You can even have Condor graphics from within
batch files!


This file is about making a application use CONDOR and problems you might have.
To do CONDOR graphics all you have to do is output your text to the screen using
the DOS con: device.  This is slower than putting characters directly into
screen memory so you may want to offer it as a option only.  The next thing
is that if you have a user interface designed for a TEXT mode only or
a GUI that is written to only work in one resolution you must realize that
that CONDOR can change the resolutions and that means that you should
check the screen mode (resolution, use the BIOS to check it)
when the user of your application calls a menu.
It's also a good idea for a terminal to drop any information lines at the
bottom or top of the screen while running with CONDOR, if you don't most
likely there will be problems.   I cannot be sure that CONDOR will work from
WINDOWS 3.1  I know it will lock WINDOWS up on my system if you do graphics
with CONDOR.  I don't know why anyone would want to use CONDOR from WINDOWS
since it degrades CONDOR's performance by many factors.  CONDOR uses the BIOS
routines so this slows things down but hopefully will make it more compatible
across the clone world.

********************** T U R B O - C **********************************

I wrote CONDOR with Borland C v2.0 and if you use Borland C or Turbo C
all you need is:

unsigned char x;
bdos(2,x,0);

That will send the text to the DOS CON: and CONDOR will recognize the command
sequences if you output to the screen this way.

You need to remember to do some checking when you pull up your user menus:
/* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*/
/*                                                              */
/*  FUNCTION:   G e t _ m o d e                                 */
/*                                                              */
/*  REMARKS :   Get_mode gets the current video mode of the     */
/*              adapter.                                        */
/* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*/

Get_mode (void)
{
    unsigned char mode;

    _AH = 0x0F;             /* INT 10 Function                  */
    geninterrupt (0x10);    /* Invoke Video BIOS                */
    mode = _AL;             /* Current Video State (Mode)       */
    return mode;            /* Return The Current Mode          */
}




*******************  G F A  B A S I C  P C  ***************************

In GFA BASIC it's not enough to simply OPEN a IO channel to CON: and
PRINT # to it.  They BYPASS the CON: even when you specify it!
I used GFA BASIC PC to write the Condor PAINT application, I like it.
Tip: If you are programming a application with GFA BASIC PC don't
let CONDOR do a 'R' command because it flips out GFA BASIC, you
have to set the res with the GFA Basic  SCREEN command.  This means
you must parse the string you send to CONDOR before hand for the 'R'
command.  Condor will detect what SCREEN mode you set with GFA BASIC
and adjust to it, so you create a 'R' command for the CONDOR file you
are building but never execute the 'R' command from within GFA BASIC.
If you are not using GFA BASIC's GUI stuff then it doesn't matter.

The only way I found to get to the CON: device using GFA BASIC PC
was to use INT 21 like this:

dor$=CHR$(27)+"{R13:b0:b0:b1:H0:C1,1:C2,2:O150,99,40:t90:R3:"
dor$=dor$+CHR$(27)+"}"+CHR$(27)+"#A"
con(dor$)

// *******  OUTPUT dor$ to "DOS" CON: device
PROCEDURE con(dor$)
  LOCAL i&

  FOR i&=1 TO LEN(dor$)
    _DL=ASC(MID$(dor$,i&,1))
    ~INTR($21,_AH=2)
  NEXT i&

RETURN




******************* Q B A S I C ***************************************

It's very easy with QBASIC just OPEN a channel up to the "CON" and PRINT #
to it and you are passing text through CONDOR.  A text file or whatever
you want CONDOR will respond to the command sequences.  You can send
one character at a time too, you don't have to send the whole string in one
swoop.


' OUTPUT to CON:DOR using QBASIC that came with DOS 5.0
OPEN "CON" FOR OUTPUT AS 1
PRINT #1, CHR$(27); "{R13:b0:b0:b1:H0:C1,1:C2,2:O150,99,40:t90:R3:";
PRINT #1, CHR$(27); "}"; CHR$(27); "#A";
CLOSE #1