Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 18:47:59 +0100
From: Hans-Bernhard Broeker <broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de>
Message-Id: <199912071747.SAA15677@acp3bf.physik.rwth-aachen.de>
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: gcc and ansi.sys question
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Organization: RWTH Aachen, III. physikalisches Institut B
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

In article <Pine DOT GSO DOT 4 DOT 05 DOT 9912051432440 DOT 28045-100000 AT shell DOT clark DOT net> you wrote:

> My guess is that stdio.h and conio.h are fighting.  I'd like to do things
> in such a way as to avoid conflict, so does gcc have ansi screen control
> functions outside of conio.h that can replace gotoxy()?

It's not a replacement of gotoxy() you need.  Your current problem
obviously is that you want output that goes the BIOS or DOS interrupt
calls (like printf), to allow your screen reader to see it. At the
same time, you want it to respect cursor positioning, which printf()
or the other <stdio.h> functions won't do. ANSI.SYS output would solve
that, but there's little or no support for that, in DJGPP. Not since I
abandoned my first port of termcap made to do the first port of the
info standalone reader, years ago.

The optimal solution would be a function that prints out a text string
by direct call of the appropriate DOS or BIOS interrupt.  At least the
BIOS version would certainly respect cursor motions, text colors, and
whatnot, as you want.

As the last resort, you could use the same method as with the
'--speech-friendly' flag in the DJGPP port of 'info', i.e. support two
sets of output: one for vision-impaired people relying on printf()
style output to be read by speach synthesizers, and the other in
cprintf() style for people who can use monitor output.

--
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.