Toolkit - We offer to meet with the new operating system Domen OS!

<b>Toolkit</b> - We offer to meet with the new operating system Domen OS!

  1996 - year anniversary. Ten years ago,
Spectrum screen first appeared inscription

            * TR-DOS Ver ... *

       (C) 1986 Technology Research Ltd.

  At that time, TR-DOS was one of several
systems (say not the best), which
picked up a cheap home computer one step closer to universal 
machine. We also in the country this operating system has 
become fundamental. But in recent years have increasingly heard 
opinion that the TR-DOS - dead. And we really find the set of 
evidence in the form of programs, it is not using the 
subroutine TR-DOS. But as they say, "holy place is never

happens. "

         DOS is dead. Dazdravstvuet OS!

Offer to meet with the new OSes!



  (C) Maxim Gannutin, 1996.



     THE CONCEPT OF OPERATING SYSTEM DOMAIN


  DOMAIN OS - a multitasking operating
system with a graphical user interface standard
SAA / CUA, as well as full support for file
systems MS-DOS FAT and TR-DOS.



             PURPOSE OF CREATION


  Originally conceived environment for developing computer 
games (strategy and adventyury). The main task was to complete 
removal of the application programmer from the hardware. 
Programmer must fully concentrate on the game's algorithms, 
rather than engage in plotting memory allocation, looking for a 
place for the second interrupts, thinking about the ports, etc. 
Such issues are relevant to the creators of action games. 


  This is how the disk subsystem (DSS), system of organization 
of residents and a set of graphical procedures. Later, however, 
wanted more. Houses began to appear laptop "Windows 3.1",

"MacGuide", and then "Windows 95". For Spectrum
getting hurt: the PC can, but on the Spectrum
impossible? And after a while, there was
 Application Program Interface, through which
was implemented cooperative multitasking.
There was an Object Oriented
programming, and graphics from a library of procedures 
increased graphics (OGL). 


  As a result, there was a complete operating
system, with technologies that were not previously implemented 
in the Z80. 


  And, finally, formulate goals:


  1. User convenience

  2. Ease of programming

  3. Transfer of advanced technologies on the Spectrum



          Multitasking in OS DOMAIN


  As I've said it (multitasking) cooperative. This means that 
at the same time computer can be downloaded and run

several programs, but these programs imposed some conditions, 
full implementation which ensures bezkonfliktnoe coexist in the 
same memory on a single screen and one hook, a few programs. 
This is not MagOS, which by definition does not can guarantee 
stability. 


  At the present time, almost every application
program contains a bunch of different components:
character display driver, window system,
Filer, mouse driver, etc. And all this developer spends time 
and effort. If you listen to Some programmers, the most often 
heard General Discussion is about the above components, rather 
than about the meaning of the program. In the PC world has long 
been understood that we must do above all, a good windows in 
"Winds" or bad - the problem of Microsoft. 


  Multitasking allows you to not burden the application with 
numerous features that are not directly associated with the 
primary goal. I wanted to print text from a text editor - the 
application sends a message to application "Printer" he and 
prints; wanted to get a copy catalog disk on paper - now, 
"Filer" sends a message "Printer". Thus,

each application does his own, and only
his work, and the clipboard allows free exchange of information 
between applications. 

  Speaking of filers. The system has a server drag'drop, so the 
work in the Filer is as follows. User opens Annex "Filer", 
finds the file, she clicks it, the arrow changes to an icon of 
file, then the user switches to the application in which he 
needs to download the file, and, Finally, squeezing the middle 
mouse button (or - Enter). After that went to boot. According 
to many, but in reality it is just a few mouse movements.




     Disk subsystem (DISK SUB SYSTEM)


  In the beginning, DOMAIN OS was targeted only
on the FAT. But the endless conversion with TR-DOS on
MS-DOS tired. I entered the transparent support
TR-DOS. That is, neither the user nor the programmer or the 
application does not tell the difference between the discs of 
different formats. All information about the files transmitted 
in the format of MS-DOS. 



               PROGRAMMING


  Interaction of applications and operating systems dramatically
differs from the traditional model: "cool cycle
calling the operating system, come out of the loop when chtoto 
happen. "In the DOMAIN system itself" twists cycle, polling the 
peripheral devices, and if For example, the key is pressed, 
will cause the active application, as their routine. Such an 
organization is quite possible, because up to 90% of cars time 
spent waiting for user actions. In most cases, to intensify, 
applications spend far less time. Thus, the system can even 
between keystrokes, wasting cycles on your needs. Home "motto" 
of programming under the domain OS:  "We quickly made a deal 
and RET". 


  The system offers a revolutionary technology
programming user interface. You
enough to declare an object (to display
his image and tell the system that, in these coordinates is 
such and such an object), and You can forget about it. When a 
user tries to do something with the object, the system will 
notify the application. A large number of different messages 
allows you to organize interfaces of any complexity in a very 
short time. I guarantee that all of the API

Windows are easily realized in DOMAIN OS.


  Everything I wrote above is really
true, however, when the number of screens
object passes in the third dozen,
there are problems associated with the jumble of codes whose 
understanding is extremely difficult. Therefore, there was an 
ideology 

  Object-oriented programming.
It postulates not only a purely formal
rules of the program structure and design
(Something similar to the Hungarian agreement on
C), but also allows you to really simplify
interface design. Another detail: the code is very
easy to change.



          PLANS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE


  At this time, three groups are working to
software development under the domain OS:


  1. Graphic editor "PaintBrush".

  2. Text editor.

  3. Games' expansion. "



  From the Editor SP.


  In the next issue of the magazine story about the domain OS
will continue. You will learn about system capabilities and 
become familiar with the architecture of the system 
applications. 


  And now - a short glossary to the article.



                LIST OF TERMS

SAA (Systems Application Archetecture) - archi
   tecture of the system applications.

Application - a program written for Windows (for
   For example, written under the TR-DOS program

   a TR-DOS application).

CUA (Common User Access) - single point of access, Paul
   transducer.

MS-DOS FAT - data storage format of the file,

   accepted in MS-DOS.

MagOS - mikrooperatsionnaya system that allows

   stored in the memory of the Scorpion few prog
   grammes and providing the opportunity to switch
   chatsya between them.

Clipboard (clipboard) - System Tray na
   myati to exchange data between applications.

Filer - a special application to work with

   files, some semblance of boot'a.

Drag'Drop (drag and drop) - a principle used
   the employed, for clarity of data transmission.

Click - move the cursor over an object, press and

   Release the mouse button.