CR> Yes, but he's running Msged full screen.

RS> Doesnt matter. There is an argument for a decent keyboard task
RS> switcher added to the OS, but NOT for the dinosaur route of an
RS> external in the app.

BG> There already is though.  Alt-Esc toggles between sessions, FS or not.

RS> Yes, but as you validly pointed out, the number of keystrokes
RS> can be more than is desirable. The answer is to add a decent
RS> keyboard oriented task switcher to the OS to allow you to go
RS> to the task you want in one keystroke.

BG> That wasn't at all clear to me from your earlier
BG> messages on this subject, but now that I know what
BG> you meant, I thoroughly agree. However, I'm not currently
BG> aware of any easy way to accomplish this in OS/2 itself.

Sure, you really need to use a decent addon to do that.

BG> as you'll have seen Chris' macros by now. Had a major
BG> brain fart with that too, I don't mind telling you.

RS> Sure, but thats STILL the wrong way to use say List in that app.

BG> Rubbish.

Fraid not. Its certainly possible to do it that route,
but its MUCH worse than doing it with a decent keyboard
oriented OS level task switcher, worse in quite a few ways.

BG> I now have Msged set up to shell to List with a single keystroke,
BG> and if I need to Edit, Move, Copy, or otherwise act upon a specific
BG> file, that is also performed via a single keystroke in List itself,
BG> then eXiting takes me right back to where I started.

Yes, there is no argument with the keystrokes required. *BUT* that
approach has a number of other disadvantages. It takes time to invoke
the external as it has to start that task. Sure you can fart around
with caches and ramdisks to minimise that time, but its FAR better
speed wise to have that List task just loaded already, ready for a
very quick keyboard oriented task switch at the OS level.

The other problem with an external is that the original task isnt
available except by a full return from the external. With the decent
task switch you can switch back and forward between the two at will,
as often as you like, instantly once you have pressed the keys. Say
you jump out of the message to look something up with List, need a
bit more info from the original message, you have to fart around,
exit the external invocation of List, back in the message, reread
the message, reload List wait for that, and you've lost your place
in the file you were looking at with List too.

Completely fucked compared with a decent keyboard oriented task switch.

BG> It's by far the most economical use of the keyboard IN MY SITUATION.

Nope, thats crap Bill. There is nothing special about YOUR SITUATION.

BG> Ergo, there's no "right" or "wrong" way about it.

Bullshit Bill, if one way of doing its is significantly worse, it makes
no sense to do it that way. Just look at that other argument we had with
Paul about the use of an XT by a highschool kid for projects. Sure, it
is indeed possible to use a single tasking system where you have to exit
the wp to go and look something up on say a CDROM, but its quite fucked
compared with doing it the sensible way with a decent tasks switcher.

There is indeed a right and wrong way and its only if you cant afford
the right way etc that it makes any sense to go that route. Its certainly
better than nothing but significantly worse than the right way to do it.

RS> The only sensible way is a better keyboard oriented OS level task
RS> switcher.

BG> Nope, it's not the "only sensible way" at all,

Fraid so, even if you are so locked in the past you cant see it.

BG> certainly not for the specific purpose I have in mind

The specific situation is just those you listed. The OS level keyboard
oriented task switch is better IN EVERY WAY, every single one.

BG> (and am using now quite successfully),

No one is saying that the external wont work, just that its fucked
compared with doing it properly.

BG> and if I wanted to run my messages through a spelling-checker
BG> for example, there ain't no easier way to do it than with a
BG> Msged macro (as Chris does now).

Well, spelling checkers are different, mainly coz they cant be as
easily invoked with a simple OS level task switch. In this case the
problem is that its the integration of the spelling checking into
the mail reader which is fucked, so you have to kludge it up with
an external, with a level of knowledge which is well above what the
average user can managed. THATs totally fucked.

And even a fully integrated spelling checker should be invoking a
full task switch at the OS level when the app is designed for a proper
modern multithreaded OS. Because again, otherwise you just have to
fart around with dinosaury stuff like caches and ram drives for decent
performance. If the app is doing it properly, that whole area doesnt
arise either, it should be doing that stuff itself coz it knows FAR
more about whats efficient use of memory than any cache or ramdrive can.

Again, dinosaury kludgy abortion. The world has moved on.

--- PQWK202