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Topic: Mainwin Font (Read 2028 times) |
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Jack Kelly
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #11 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 05:30am » |
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I read in another thread that the following BBC Basic command can be used to change the font in MainWin.
Code:
font$ = "Courier New, 14"
!OSCLI "font " + font$
You can search your system for LBB.ini, but it's not user-friendly. On XP it is in C:Documents and Settings\(myusername)\Programdata
And it's ok to write programs that run only in MainWin. In the old days that's how they all ran. Do what seems best for you.
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| « Last Edit: Jan 21st, 2015, 05:33am by Jack Kelly » |
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Richard Russell
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #12 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 08:22am » |
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on Jan 21st, 2015, 05:30am, Jack Kelly wrote:| You can search your system for LBB.ini |
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There's no reason why you should need to view or edit that file, since it only records settings that you can easily see and change in the IDE, but there's an easier way to find it should you want to: use the environment variable %APPDATA% (either in Windows Explorer or at a Command Prompt)
Quote:| And it's ok to write programs that run only in MainWin. |
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There are differing opinions on that! Some LB enthusiasts will argue that the mainwin should be used only for 'little programs' and for debugging GUI applications (which is certainly its principle use as far as I'm concerned). They would discourage its use as the main or only UI in a large program.
I won't take sides on that issue, but it's worth mentioning that LBB's mainwin does not have the high degree of compatibility with LB4 that the GUI features do. For example there is no menu, and you can only 'scroll back' a limited distance. On the other hand you can change the colour and even use graphics in the LBB mainwin, which you can't in LB4.
Richard.
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Monkfish
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #13 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 12:35pm » |
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Thanks Jack 
I wondered if LBB had an ini file. Changing the font within the program seems to work fine, but it's handy to know.
My program only uses text input because it's intended to be used by people who might not be confident in using a computer. If issues arise from using Mainwin, I will just have to shift all my input statements over to a separate window. Not sure what the benefits would be though?
I prefer to allow LBB to compile my code because the program it creates just feels more professional and produces a single executable... and it's faster 
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| « Last Edit: Jan 21st, 2015, 12:38pm by Monkfish » |
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Richard Russell
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #14 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 2:06pm » |
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on Jan 21st, 2015, 12:35pm, Monkfish wrote:| I wondered if LBB had an ini file. Changing the font within the program seems to work fine, but it's handy to know. |
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I'm not sure if there's been some misunderstanding. The LBB.INI file sets the font used in the IDE (program editor), but it has no influence at all on the font used in the mainwin. They are totally independent, as one would (hopefully) expect.
In LB 4.04 the font used in the mainwin of a compiled program is linked in some way with the font used in the IDE. Why? It reminds me of the 'spooky action at a distance' that so upset Einstein, and it's almost as strange. But then I find many things about LB 4 inexplicable! 
Richard.
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Monkfish
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #15 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 5:26pm » |
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Oh I understand now. Must admit that I hadn't looked at the LBB ini file.
I get the impression Richard, that your expertise and many years of experience with BASIC is a little more advanced than Carl's.
I am only happy that both of you are helping to keep the flag flying for BASIC, which is how I was introduced to programming back on my Atari 800... ignoring my old programmable Sinclair calculator
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Richard Russell
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Re: Mainwin Font
« Reply #16 on: Jan 21st, 2015, 5:56pm » |
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on Jan 21st, 2015, 5:26pm, Monkfish wrote:| I get the impression Richard, that your expertise and many years of experience with BASIC is a little more advanced than Carl's. |
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I don't know Carl's background. He is obviously an extremely skilled and experienced SmallTalk programmer, but I get the impression that his knowledge of BASIC is (or at least was when he designed LB) a bit weak, and I don't think he's as familiar with some aspects of Windows as might be desirable.
I don't claim to be an expert in anything, but with more than 40 years of software and hardware engineering experience, and more than 30 years associated with BBC BASIC, I've acquired a certain degree of knowledge about a whole lot of things - and forgotten a whole lot more!
Richard.
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