Q81321: Maintaining PWB Display While Running a Program

Article: Q81321
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): MS-DOS:1.0,1.1,2.0; OS/2:1.0,1.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly
Last Modified: 13-JUN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Programmer's Workbench for MS-DOS, versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 
- Microsoft Programmer's Workbench for OS/2, versions 1.0, 1.1 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article discusses how to run a program in the background with the
Programmer's WorkBench (PWB) versions 1.0 and 1.1, much like NMAKE and other
utilities do. Although this method also works for version 2.0 of PWB, we
recommend that you use the newer callback, DoSpawn(), instead.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The best way to do this is to use PWB's compile command. First build a string of
the form:

  "arg arg \"progname.exe arguments for exe \" compile"

Then pass the string to fExecute(). To demonstrate this, without having to write
an extension, do the following in PWB:

1. Press ALT+A ALT+A.

2. Type in the name of the program or command you want to execute. For the
  purposes of this article, type in "set" (without the quotation marks).

3. Press CTRL+F3. This is the compile command.

4. PWB will appear to be doing a build of your program. The box that comes up
  will show the command that you passed to it, in this case, set.

5. A dialog box will give you the options to View Results or Cancel. Choose View
  Results.

6. In the Compile Results window, you will see the environment variables that
  you have set.

Note that the PROGNAME.EXE can also be an MS-DOS or OS/2 command. The following
sample code shows how to incorporate this into a simple program. Note that the
results, if any, of your program will appear in the compile results window. Add
the following lines to the TOOLS.INI file to make the function, funcname,
accessible in PWB by using the ALT+Z keystroke:

load:[extension].mxt funcname:alt+z

If you are working under OS/2 rather than MS-DOS, you should use .PXT instead of
.MXT as the file extension. It is important to note that you must force PWB to
load your extension before you assign a keystroke to your function. PWB will
recognize your function only after the extension is loaded, and since extensions
are loaded after the TOOLS.INI, you cannot rely on PWB's automatic loading of
extensions. MORE information about PWB extensions can be found in Chapter 8 of
the "Microsoft C Advanced Programming Techniques" manual, the online help, and
in Chapter 9 of the C versions 6.x "Developers Toolkit Reference."

Sample Code
-----------

  /* Compile and link options needed:
     cl /c /ACw /Gs [extension].c
        To link for MS-DOS:
     link /NOI exthdr.obj [extension].obj, [extension].mxt;
        To link for OS/2:
     link /NOI exthdrp.obj [extension].obj, [extension].pxt,,, ext.def;
  */ 

  #include "ext.h"

  /* function prototype */ 
  PWBFUNC funcname (
      unsigned argData,
      ARG _far *pArg,
      flagType fMeta);

  /* Switch description table (required for an extension) */ 
  struct swiDesc swiTable[] = { { NULL,NULL,0}};

  /* Command description table ( required for a PWB extension) */ 
  struct cmdDesc cmdTable[] ={
      { "funcname", funcname, 0 , NOARG},
      { NULL, NULL, 0, 0}};

  /* Function that PWB calls when loading the extension */ 
  void EXTERNAL WhenLoaded(void)
  {
      DoMessage("Loading funcname extension");
  }

  PWBFUNC funcname (
      unsigned argData,
      ARG _far *pArg,
      flagType fMeta)
  {
      char c[] = "arg arg \"set\" compile";
      fExecute(c);
  }

Additional query words: kbinf extension 1.00 1.10 2.00 PWBIss

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Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbPWBSearch kbZNotKeyword3 kbPWB100DOS kbPWB110DOS kbPWB200DOS kbPWB100OS2 kbPWB110OS2
Version           : MS-DOS:1.0,1.1,2.0; OS/2:1.0,1.1

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