Linux Color.

[Kroboth, Joe]

-----Original Message-----
From: filepro-list-bounces+joe_kroboth=chernay.com at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:filepro-list-bounces+joe_kroboth=chernay.com at lists.celestial.com
] On Behalf Of Laura Brody
Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 5:21 PM
To: filepro-list at lists.celestial.com
Subject: Re: Linux Color.

Quoting Fairlight <fairlite at fairlite.com>:

> Yo, homey, in case you don' be listenin', Kroboth, Joe done said:
>> What is with linux/unix and screen colors?   I'm reading that it
works
>> but I need to create the color screens in windows/dos version then fp
>> transfer the stuff over.   Not having the dos/windows version and not
>> having fp transfer makes this a little more than impossible. Is there
>> some insurmountable problem making color screens  in  linux that
would
>> make fptech not include it 'define screen'?

   It is a history thing.

   A few years ago, on a day when the omission of color in Define
Screens for Linux had me peeved to new heights, I asked Ken "Why
the F%^&* not?". After 20 minutes of questions, I discovered
that Ken did not add color to *nix dscreen long, long ago because
*nix terminals did not have the function keys that DOS/Windows had.
As you recall, under DOS/Windows, you have to select the colors by
pressing SHFT-F4, CTRL-F1, ALT-F8, etc.

   Bottom line: It was an interface issue.

   With that in mind, I wrote some filePro code which allowed
users to select colors from a screen of colored blocks.

       xx    xx   xx   xx  xx  xx  xx
       xx   [xx]  xx   xx  xx  xx  xx
       xx    xx   xx   xx  xx  xx  xx
(etc.)

   It became the basis for fP Color Editor (also in Toolkit #1).
Extending it, I wrote code to read in filePro color settings
(TEXTNORMAL, TEXTINVERSE, POPUPNORMAL, POPUPINVERSE, etc.) and
allow a user to easily change these values. I took a copy of the
"select colors" code and wrote code to read in a screen
and display it. A bit more code to edit the attribute
portion of the screen file and I had a utility which lets
me add color to any existing screen in a snap.

> You don't need the DOS/Win versions.  Turn it on by using a termcap
with
> the OV attribute.  Go into define screens and hit update.  It'll tell
you
> you're converting a monochrome screen to colour.  You then "paint
over" the
> screen.
>
> If you've already designed a screen, you're basically forced to
redesign it
> a second time just to get the colours.
>
> Or you could try the suggestion about using Laura's tool, although I
have
> -no- idea how it works.  Maybe it takes the pain out of it.

>   That is basically what it does. My fP Screen Painter allows
>you to easily choose foreground and background colors (pick
>and choose from the displayed colors -- every combination is
>possible) and then select areas of an existing screen to
>apply the color.

>   Since filePro screens have a checksum and fP Technologies
>has not made public the checksum algorithm, I was not
>able to allow users to create new color screens or to edit
>the text/fields on existing screens. The color attributes
>of a screen do not impact the checksum, so I could have
>my utility change that.

>  When you purchase the toolkit, you also get the source code
>for all 3 utilities, so if you want to change something (fix
>a bug or add a feature), you can, even if Bob and I have
>ended up in the big bit bucket in the sky....

Thanks for the history Laura.  It would be so great if you could create
and modify the screens in your painter program.  I'm curious as to why
fp tech would not release checksum algorithm? The more tools available
for filePro should extend its life.  Not to mention a screen larger than
80 x 24 would make giddy for a year or so....

I noticed you have a Quick Reference Guide.  Are you planning to update
it to include 5.6?  My 4.5 QRG has more dog ears than the SPCA. 


Joe