NH>DM> believe that Borland requires an extention to create 32-bit DOS
NH>DM> executables.... but we should leave this up to the Borland wizards
NH>DM> (any left here?).
NH>Just a simple question...
NH>Why would someone WANT to write a 32-bit DOS app..  Is there a 32-bit
NH>flavor of DOS out there?
No, and by the definition of DOS, it's not possible.  DOS and all the OS
calls are hardwired to 16 bits.   You could have a 32 bit dos 'like' OS,
but it wouldn't run 16 bit DOS stuff, and you'd have to write it all
yourself.  If you were going to that much trouble, you might as well go
on to a vastly better OS (Unix, OS/2, etc.)
As for creating 32 bit dos executables, there are actually a number of
reasons.  First, it lets all of us die hard DOSers run programs that can
access megs of memory and use regular 32 bit integers.  You can even
have hundreds of megs of virtual memory on a little dinky 4m 386sx.
It's just a matter of running a "Dos Extender" and those are either
compiled into the executable, automatically loads a driver, or built
into the OS (Win, ND-DOS, etc.)
Second, DOS is still, without a doubt, the most portable executable
format on the planet.  A 16 or 32 bit DPMI/DOS executable can run under
DOS itself, Win 3, W95, OS/2 v3/4/5, Linux, Mac (w/emulator) and no
telling what else. For a hobbiest programmer, that means a lot more
people get to see the program.
Also, there are some decent 32 bit compilers (the GCC stuff, including
DJGPP) that are free.  You don't have to spend $300 to buy a compiler.
Or spend another $100 when the next version comes out with some bug
fixes.
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