Peter

 PK> Hi Bob,

 BJ> Turns out the dmake in the Max source code package is a 
 BJ> dual mode DOS (16-bit) and OS/2 (32 bit) executable...  

 PK> If its a true "Family Mode" App (same executable runs 
 PK> on both DOS or OS/2 as "native" apps), then it uses 
 PK> the 16 bit OS/2 1.x API (which is still present in 
 PK> OS/2 V2+).

What do you know about the utility that existed (s?) for making Family Mode
applications with the VP21 compiler?  It's used to fashion the UNIVERSAL
version of ALLFIX and INTERMAIL as best I know.  My limited understanding
of the tool is that it is a switcher which can be used to allow packaging
of the actual differential executatble code from the two different
executables into one physical package for distribution.  The distribution
for my UNIVERSAL ALLFIX is much larger than either ALLFIX for OS/2 or DOS.
INTERMAIL has the same perspective for it.

The documentation for VP21 notes an endorsement by Harold Harms as to the
wonderance and ease of porting ALLFIX to VP21  .. and all my memory points
back to this tool which offered (s?) the technique of combining at least
two majorly different executables into one distributable package.

I'm not at all even hinting at porting to VP21...  What I'm still
interested in is the technique of the tool itself for a different platform.

Way back when, there was a URL for this tool, which memory says was in
Virginia.  However, although the site, had phone and fax numbers for the
author; these numbers came back disconnected.  The site offered only
payment by credit card for the tool. Not being Pascalish, uninformed as to
that arena, what caught my eye was a statement by the author at the web
site.

He offered that the tool was simple to do in other languages!  At the time
I was digging for the ability to easily offer UNIVERSAL programs win OS/2
and WIN native via this excution switcher from BASIC or C.  So I asked him
what that would entail!

However, neither mail or email ever produced any communications about what
it might cost for such an easy modification, and the sample download of the
switcher only provided for cross or conditional compilation with PASCAL of
about a 150 line sample program as I recall.  Those who claimed to know
said pay first; only then ask questions!   "No tickee; no
laundry!"

If it is such an easy thing to do, then what really is the problem in
providing a run-time sniffer during this project which could offer a
UNIVERSAL version of MAX from which one can run it on OS/2 - WIN - LINUX at
will.  It would gain attention I bet.

     Putting the code to do that into the light of day would be awfully
     helpful, one might think.  Even as a simply after-make tool which
     combines MAXOS2.EXE and MAXWIN.EXE  ... and ... squinting at the
     horizon here MAXLIN.EXE, while looking at the horses and all the
     feathers up on that ridge!    We might get MAXMAX.EXE, eh?

I'm not qualified to create that. Just thinking out loud here.  There are
those reading this who I think are cabable of it.


Thanks.


--> Sleep well; OS/2's still awake! ;)

Mike {at} 1:117/3001

--- Maximus/2 3.01