GEM Programming

[christos]

Hi, I made a small programme and I kind of want to give it a gem interface. What is the best approach? Should I get a resource editor create the environment and go from there? I want to have pull down menus and stuff. Is that easily accomplished?
Thanks for your answers. I am pretty much in the beginning of my learning curve.

[PaulB]

I would say that 'Interface' is best. Works for colour and mono. Can't remember where to download it from though!

[[ProToS]]

interface 2.33 german/english
ftp://chapelie.rma.ac.be/atari/programming/intrface.zip

[ggn]

Could you tell us what kind of programming language you used?

George

[christos]

It's pure c on aranym George.

[ggn]

Well, in that case you can use libraries as Windom, which take many of the interface work away from you (e.g. having to write an event loop etc.).

Also, do a search about GEM C programming, I'm sure there are lots of tutorials out there.

George

[brainois]

Hello,

I have been searching on the net the whole evening for a good tutorial on programming with Pure C (or C in general) on atari, but nothing comes out.
I am looking for a step-by-step tutorial on how to develop a full GEM application (sth like programming a Personal Information Manager).
The net is really poor for beginner atari developper.
Does anyone have a good tip?

François

[[ProToS]]

this is not a step by step but a good article from the f030 diskmag Chosneck
perhaps a good point to start
http://msb.neostrada.pl/chosneck/mag2/ART52.html

[DrCoolZic]

interface 2.33 german/english
ftp://chapelie.rma.ac.be/atari/programming/intrface.zip

Site is dead?
I was able to find it some other place but could not found any documentation?
Does anybody knows where I can find documentation in English.
Thanks
Jean

[jfl]

Hi, I made a small programme and I kind of want to give it a gem interface. What is the best approach? Should I get a resource editor create the environment and go from there? I want to have pull down menus and stuff. Is that easily accomplished?

Menus are pretty easy to create with a resource editor and quite straightforward to handle in your app. I suggest Resource Master, which is more or less the standard now. Interface will have problems with some extended resource files. Though in you case it probably doesn't matter.

As for tutorials, Tim Oren's Professional GEM is still a very good introduction, even if it does not take into account later additions like the AV protocol and such. See here: http://www.atari-forum.com/wiki/index.p ... sional_GEM

Other interesting documentations: http://dev-docs.atariforge.org/

[[ProToS]]

interface 2.33 german/english
ftp://chapelie.rma.ac.be/atari/programming/intrface.zip

Site is dead?
I was able to find it some other place but could not found any documentation?
Does anybody knows where I can find documentation in English.
Thanks
Jean

new adress for chapelie ftp
ftp://kurobox.serveftp.net:3021/program ... trface.zip

[jfl]

[...] Tim Oren's Professional GEM is still a very good introduction [...].

I just noticed that this section of the wiki is incomplete. You'll find the complete tutorial plus other programming resources here:
http://removers.free.fr/wikipendium/wak ... ngArticles

[DrCoolZic]

...
Menus are pretty easy to create with a resource editor and quite straightforward to handle in your app. I suggest Resource Master, which is more or less the standard now. Interface will have problems with some extended resource files. Though in you case it probably doesn't matter.

I have tried to use RSM 3.64 in English but I have lots of problem with it.
I run TOS 1.6 FR under steem std machine with 4Mb. When I loaf RSM it first complain about BGH I ignore the message and it loads. However in most cases the display are incorrect. The fonts are unreadable most of the time and some character do not show up correctly for example OK becomes _K. Most of the time if I try to use the editor a secong time in the same session it bombs!!!
Is there minimum requrements to run the program. I beleive that it is possible to load an "extended GEM" from the auto Directory??? Is this needed ?
Thanks
Jean

[DrCoolZic]

You'll find the complete tutorial plus other programming resources here:
http://removers.free.fr/wikipendium/wak ... ngArticles

Whaooo seems very very interesting ressouce. Thanks for the info

[jfl]

You'll find the complete tutorial plus other programming resources here:
http://removers.free.fr/wikipendium/wak ... ngArticles

Whaooo seems very very interesting ressouce. Thanks for the info

I see that you're from France. As it happens, the best ever GEM tutorials were published in the French mag ST magazine, starting at no. 77. You can find all issues of the mag here:
http://www.abandonware-magazines.org/af ... g=6&page=4
There are more than 15 articles.

If you want to understand how GEM (and VDI, and GDOS) works, that's the thing to read before anything else. Really brilliant. The example programs and sources can be downloaded from the STmag website, section archives I think.

[jfl]

I have tried to use RSM 3.64 in English but I have lots of problem with it.
I run TOS 1.6 FR under steem std machine with 4Mb. When I loaf RSM it first complain about BGH I ignore the message and it loads. However in most cases the display are incorrect. The fonts are unreadable most of the time and some character do not show up correctly for example OK becomes _K. Most of the time if I try to use the editor a secong time in the same session it bombs!!!
Is there minimum requrements to run the program.

It would appear that RSM is better suited to later versions of AES. You should try Interface, then. It's great too, just not as up to date as RSM.

[DrCoolZic]

I see that you're from France. As it happens, the best ever GEM tutorials were published in the French mag ST magazine, starting at no. 77.

Yes I have already found these article from Claude Attard and yes indeed they are very interesting. I am currently writing some GEM code that I will publish to get feedback. whatch out for these in the comming days (hopefully not weeks...)

It would appear that RSM is better suited to later versions of AES. You should try Interface, then. It's great too, just not as up to date as RSM

Is there a way to load newer GEM from the auto directory?
I tried to run steem with TOS > 2 a,d yes it seems to work better.

Jean

[jfl]

Is there a way to load newer GEM from the auto directory?

Without changing your TOS version you mean? I'm pretty sure it's not possible but I may be wrong.

[DrCoolZic]

Without changing your TOS version you mean? I'm pretty sure it's not possible but I may be wrong.

Well I rembember that once I had inserted a floppy in my machine before booting and it loaded GEM (?) from the auto directory. After that when I was using certain applications I found that the GUI was much much nicer (better graphics). I am not 100% sure and I may just dream awake!!! I need to find this diskette?!?
Technically the GEM is in the Atari ROM but it should be possible to load a new and more powerful GEM in memory and to change a vector in function table to now point to this enhance GEM.
Again I may be wrong? I need to look for this disk and try it on a real machine. I'll keep you posted

[bullis1]

Is there a way to load newer GEM from the auto directory?

Without changing your TOS version you mean? I'm pretty sure it's not possible but I may be wrong.

Yes, there is a way to do this. You need a certain program to do so however. Try searching the forum or maybe asking ppera (hopefully he won't suggest you try searching too!).

[DrCoolZic]

I have found by "accident" a documentation (paper document) about interface 2.x
this documentation also includes instruction about the usage of the mydial.lib (small GEM extension)

unfortunately all the versions that I have found and downloaded are missing the mydial directory. From what I understand it is suppose to be distributed as mydial_c.tos archiv
Does anybody have either the complete mydial directory with the lib and includes or the mydial archiv

Thanks - Jean

[dhedberg]

I've attached the mydial_c.zip archive to a post here:
http://www.atari-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=23858

[DrCoolZic]

thanks