[<<Previous Entry] [^^Up^^] [Next Entry>>] [Menu] [About The Guide]
Interactive WarpLink is a front-end, user interface for WarpLink. It is a
heavily modified version of Al Stevens' D-Flat Version 6 application, as
published in Dr. Dobb's Journal magazine. Using Interactive WarpLink is
similar to using other windowed user interfaces. If a mouse is detected,
it will automatically be enabled.
Starting Interactive WarpLink
Start Interactive WarpLink by entering IW at the DOS prompt. Four windows
are visible upon start-up. The left-most window (#1) contains the object
modules to be linked. The next window to the right (#2) contains libraries.
Note that it is not necessary to use plus (+) signs at the ends of lines
in either window.
Interactive WarpLink will perform most housekeeping chores for you,including
adding plus signs where needed.
The window farthest to the right (#3) contains link options. Set or reset
various link options in this window by using the cursor keys (or mouse) to
select an option and then pressing the SPACEBAR.
Interactive WarpLink prompts you for additional settings with some link
options. Two link options have optional settings: /CLP5 and /OX. Other
options have required settings. All additional settings are retained once
the corresponding options are turned off. In the Link Options window, you
may explicitly set the EXE (or COM) and MAP filename.
The window near the bottom of the screen, Link File Name (#4), contains the
default link file name to which you save changes.
A fifth window only appears after you link using Interactive WarpLink. It
will show any errors or warnings that occur during the link. Following a
link without errors, you will see an Information Box the states no errors
were found. Although the Error Log window (#5) is always present, it is
not usually visible because the other four windows cover it.
To restore any of the windows that are not (fully) visible, use the dropdown
menus or the shortcut keys. The window shortcut keys are ALT-1, ALT-2,
ALT-3, ALT-4, and ALT-5 (the number corresponds to the window number).
To move or resize the Interactive WarpLink environment, select the symbol
of three lines (at the top left corner of the screen) by using the mouse or
ALT '-'.
Using Dropdown Menus
Use the mouse, cursor control keys and shortcut keys (shown in parentheses)
to select options on the five dropdown menus.
The File menu (ALT-F) contains six options:
Load
Select this option, (F3), to load and process a link file. Object modules,
libraries, and link options automatically appear within the corresponding
window. You can load more than one link file is desired. Subsequent link
file loads are appended to pre-existing settings and text.
New
Select this option to reset and removes the object modules and libraries
listed within the corresponding windows.
Save
Select this option (F2) to save the object modules, libraries and options
settings to the link file specified in the Link File Name window
automatically. If there is no link file specified Interactive WarpLink will
prompt you for a name (like the Save As menu option.)
Save As
Select this option to have Interactive WarpLink prompt your for a link file
name and then executes the Save option (above).
DOS Shell
Select this option (ALT-D) to shell out to DOS. A memory image is written
to disk in a temporary file that conserve memory. Type EXIT at the DOS
prompt to return to Interactive WarpLink.
Exit
Select this option (ALT-X) to exit back to DOS. This does not execute a
DOS shell. You will leave Interactive WarpLink permanently.
The Edit menu contains six options:
Object Files
Select this option (ALT-1) to activate the Object Files window.
Libraries
Select this option (ALT-2) to activate the Library window.
Options
Select this option (ALT-3) to activate the Link Options window.
Link File
Select this option (ALT-4) to activate the Link File Name window.
Reformat
Select this option (F4) to clean up the object module and library list. The
reformatting is performed automatically when saving a link file (F2) from
the File menu.
Error Log
Select this option (ALT-5) to display the WarpLink Error Log.
The Link menu contains one option:
Link
Select this option (F7) to shell to DOS and attempt to link using the
current settings. Note that two temporary files, IWTEMP.$$$ and
IWTEMP2.$$$, are created or overwritten during this linking process.
They can be safely deleted when the link is completed.
This option does NOT save to the current Link File Name in Window 4. Since
it uses a temporary file, it can be used for testing purposes before saving
the linked file (using F2 from the File menu).
When Interactive WarpLink shells to DOS and begins linking, the screen
clears and a display a "Now linking...." message.
Interactive WarpLink will notify you of any errors or warnings that occur
during the link in the Error Log window (#5), which contains redirected
output of all WarpLink messages. A successful link displays an information
box upon return to Interactive WarpLink, instead of Error Log window #5.
The Project menu contains two options:
Load
Select this option to load a previously saved Project file in order to
replace all current settings with the settings contained in the Project File.
Save
Select this option to save all settings to a Project file. Interactive
WarpLink will prompt you for the desired name.
Interactive WarpLink contains three project files:
S87OVL.PRJ is for use with
Clipper Summer '87, C501OVL.PRJ for Clipper 5.01, and CLARION.PRJ for
Clarion. These project files assume that you will use overlays with these
languages. Each project file contains several, typical switch settings. The
Clipper project files also contain over-layable CLIPPER.LIB modules. Note
that Clipper users who experience difficulty or a significant slowdown when
using these settings may wish to remove some of the over-layable CLIPPER.LIB
modules.
You can automatically load a project file on start- up by typing the project
name after IW, that is, IW [project_file_name]. The default file extension
.PRJ is used if none is supplied.
You may need to use other options, in addition to those used in the project
files, to speed up link or application execution times and free up memory.
The Environment menu has two options, each with two sub-options:
Defaults
Select the Link File Extension sub-option to set the default extension used
with the Save and Load options on the File menu. The default is .LNK.
Select the Select Linker EXE Name/Path sub-option to specify a new name
and/or path for WARPLINK.EXE in case you renamed it previously or it isn't
along your PATH setting.
Search Paths
Select the Object Files sub-option to temporarily set the OBJ environment
variable when Interactive WarpLink shells out to link.
Select the Library Files sub-option to temporarily set the LIB environment
variable when Interactive WarpLink shells out to link.
Note that the OBJ and LIB environment variables in the master environment
will be superseded by using the Search Paths options. If you do not set
these options, the master environment will be used.
Online resources provided by: http://www.ClipX.Net --- NG 2 HTML conversion by Dave Pearson