
Notes On CauseWay for Watcom C++ and Assembly Language
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CauseWay Files
==============

  Directory BIN:

    CWD.CFG      - CWD CauseWay debugger example configuration file.
    MSLINK.DEF   - Example configuration file for WL32.
    RTLINK.DEF   - Example configuration file for WL32.
    WARPLINK.DEF - Example configuration file for WL32.
    WARPWRAP.DEF - Example definitions file for WARPWRAP.
    CWC.EXE      - CauseWay file compressor.
    CWD.EXE      - CauseWay symbolic debugger startup executable.
    CWDSTUB.EXE  - Watcom C++ support file for CauseWay DOS DLLs.
    CWSTUB.EXE   - Watcom C++ support file for CauseWay.
    LE23P.EXE    - File converter from Watcom LE-format file to
                   native CauseWay 3P-format file
    WL32.EXE     - CauseWay protected mode linker.
    WMAPCWD.EXE  - WMAPCWD utility, WLINK MAP to CWD-readable
                   MAP converter.
    WW.EXE       - CauseWay environment variable burn-in utility.
    CWSYSTEM.LNK - Watcom C++ linker setup file.
    READ.ME      - This file.
    CWD.OVL      - Support code file for CWD, the CauseWay debugger.
    VESA.TXT     - VESA.OBJ documentation, Watcom C++ VESA support
                   using CauseWay.
    WMAPCWD.TXT  - WMAPCWD utility documentation, WLINK MAP to
                   CWD-readable MAP converter.

  Directory SAMPLES:

    MAKEFILE     - Watcom make file for DOS DLL example.
    ALIASSEL.ASM - Assembly language example source file using CauseWay services.
    CALLBACK.ASM - Assembly language example source file using CauseWay services.
    DOSSHELL.ASM - Assembly language example source file using CauseWay services.
    INTASM.ASM   - Assembly language example source file for calling
                   real mode interrupt that uses segment:offset
                   pointer to a memory buffer.
    MULTFLAT.ASM - Flat model source file using CauseWay
                   services.
    MULTNEAR.ASM - Near model source file using CauseWay
                   services.
    SCREEN32.ASM - Flat or Near model assembly language example
                   source file.
    SHOWEVAR.ASM - Assembly language example source file for WARPWRAP.
    TIMER.ASM    - Assembly language example source file using
                   CauseWay services.
    VERSION.ASM  - Assembly language example source file using
                   CauseWay services.
    VESA.ASM     - Source code to Watcom VESA.OBJ VESA support
                   module.
    _MAYDAY.C    - Watcom C source file for SetDump and UserErrTerm
                   example.
    CROAK1.C     - Watcom C source file for UserDump example.
    CROAK2.C     - Watcom C source file for UserDump example.
    CROAK2.C     - Watcom C source file for UserDump example.
    DLL.C        - Watcom C source file for DOS DLL example.
    DLLTEST.C    - Watcom C source file for DOS DLL example.
    INTC.C       - Watcom C example source file for calling real mode
                   interrupt that uses segment:offset pointer to a
                   memory buffer.
    TESTTERM.C   - Watcom C source file for SetDump and
                   UserErrTerm example.
    WMAPCWD.C    - WMAPCWD utility source, WLINK MAP to
                   CWD-readable MAP converter.
    DLLFUNC.H    - Watcom C++ DOS DLL example header file.
    CW.INC       - CauseWay assembly language include file containing
                   the CauseWay API.
    DLLR.LNK     - Watcom C++ link file for DOS DLL example.
    DLLS.LNK     - Watcom C++ link file for DOS DLL example.
    DLLTEST.LNK  - Watcom C++ link file for DOS DLL example.
    DEXDLL.ZIP   - Zipped set of files, expanded demonstration of
                   using DOS DLLs with calls to and from the DLL,
                   including variables.
    WATSWAP.ZIP  - Zipped set of files on optional linkable
                   memory swapper routine, including
                   documentation and demonstration files.

  Directory OBJ

    CWAPI.OBJ    - Watcom C++ OBJ file for DOS DLL example.
    DLLFUNC.OBJ  - Watcom C++ OBJ file for DOS DLL example.
    DLLR105A.OBJ - Watcom C++ startup code for DOS DLLs,
                   register-based calling convention, version
                   10.5a and above.
    DLLS105A.OBJ - Watcom C++ startup code for DOS DLLs,
                   stack-based calling convention, version
                   10.5a and above.
    DLLSTRTR.OBJ - Watcom C++ startup code for DOS DLLs,
                   register-based calling convention, version
                   10.5 and previous.
    DLLSTRTS.OBJ - Watcom C++ startup code for DOS DLLs,
                   stack-based calling convention, version
                   10.5 and previous.
    KBHITR.OBJ   - Watcom optimized kbhit replacement,
                   register-based calling convention.
    KBHITS.OBJ   - Watcom optimized kbhit replacement,
                   stack-based calling convention.
    SHOWEVAR.OBJ - Example binary file for WARPWRAP.
    VESA.OBJ     - Watcom C++ linkable VESA support module.



Feature Additions, Changes, and Corrections
===========================================

December 1999

Fixed an error in CauseWay's API for GetMem and GetMem32 and
DPMI emulation when reporting total available memory ([E]CX =
-1) in straight DOS environments.  The return value would be
doubled if no conventional/DOS memory was available, i.e. the
program consumed all conventional memory when loading or all
spare conventional memory was reserved by the SET
CAUSEWAY=LOWMEM:nnn setting.  This only affected the value
reported, the actual value was still used properly by CauseWay
itself.

Added support to returning a more accurate total available
memory value when using EMM386 NOVCPI setting in straight DOS
environments.  For reasons known only to Microsoft, EMM386 still
acts as as VCPI host even when NOVCPI is set, although no memory
is then available via that API.  As a result, the total
available memory report was not seeing memory available via XMS
allocations (since VCPI takes precedence).  This problem did not
affect actual CauseWay usage of available memory which still
made XMS allocations where possible, only the available memory
value returned from the total memory call was reduced.

Added workaround for weird bug in some machines due to unknown
agent (Windows? AMI BIOS?) where a CauseWay application in
AUTOEXEC.BAT which uses DOS function 8 to get a keystroke when
no other application in AUTOEXEC.BAT gets a keystroke will cause
failure in Windows 95 and 98 after boot-up when subsequently
opening a DOS box.  This is still problematic with
CWC-compressed programs.  The workaround is code added to
CauseWay startup procedure which simply checks for a keystroke
via DOS function 0Bh 127 times and ends out early if a key was
pressed -- the added overhead should be a few milli- or
microseconds.  Honestly, we have no idea why this clears up the
problem, although A20 line or keyboard port influence are
suspects.  CauseWay itself does not process DOS function 8
requests, passing them down to and back up from the real mode
(DOS) handler.

October 1999

Added internal support for XMS version 3.0 specification to
allow XMS-based environments (i.e. HIMEM.SYS loaded without
EMM386 EMS emulation turned on under pure DOS environments) to
access more than 64M physical memory.

Fixed an obscure bug in WL32.EXE that caused a GPF when linking
approximately one in every gazillion times, technically
speaking.

February 1999

Sybase has provided us with the information and files necessary to support
trap files under version 11.0 of Watcom C/C++, an action we appreciate
and for which we thank them.  Version 11.0 users may use the updated CW.TRP
and CWHELP.EXE file.  Users of versions prior to 11.0 should continue to use
their old version of CW.TRP and CWHELP.EXE, or they can rename the CW10.TRP
and CWHELP10.EXE in this current release of CauseWay to CW.TRP and CWHELP.EXE.

Added BIG1 setting support to CAUSEWAY environment variable.  The BIG1
setting forces CauseWay to use an alternate method to determine available
extended memory under RAW memory environments (no DPMI host, no HIMEM.SYS
loaded), allowing CauseWay to see more than 64M of memory on machines
which do not support more than 64M under the original INT 15h method.
This method uses INT 15h function 0e801h to determine available extended
memory, falling back to the original function if 0e801h fails.  Note that
old machines may not support this function and there is a slight chance
that some older machines may not work if the BIG1 setting is used.

May 1998

An error was uncovered in Windows NT which resulted in
application failure when using the CWSWAPR and CWSWAPS swapper
routines.  NT's implementation of DPMI is faulty (it does not
properly set the FS register on simulate real mode call
function), leading to failure of the swapper code.  New code was
added to swapper routines to work around this NT bug, and the
swapper now works properly under Windows NT.

Added a NOEX setting to the CAUSEWAY environment variable, e.g.
SET CAUSEWAY=NOEX.  This parameter forces CauseWay to not patch
the INT 21h, function 4bh (EXEC) vector to turn off CauseWay's
INT 31h extensions when the EXEC function is called.  CauseWay
normally turns off support of its INT 31h extensions on an EXEC
call to be well-behaved and avoid conflicts with other extenders
or programs which may add their own extensions to INT 31h.
However, if your CauseWay-extended application shells out to DOS
and passes the shelled-to application a callback address
pointing to a routine within the parent CauseWay application,
the callback will not work properly if the protected mode code
uses the CauseWay extensions.  With the NOEX setting present,
CauseWay still supports its INT 31h extensions for those
users who need to operate with callbacks in this fashion.  Be
aware that when the NOEX setting is present, CauseWay is less
"well-behaved" about other programs which might add their own
INT 31h extensions.

CauseWay properly works with the CAUSEWAY environment variable
NAME parameter even if your temporary directory setting has a
trailing backslash.

CWD.OVL adds a setting in the register display window which
displays FPU values, if FPU is present.  Press F5 in the
register display window to toggle FPU display on and off.
CWD.OVL no longer sign-extends 32-bit addresses on the CPU
display.


Known Problems And Incompatibilities
====================================

Windows 95 network printing under CauseWay may wait until
timeout (generally 60 to 90 seconds) or program exit before
printing.  This is not an issue with Novell's version of the
network printer.  Although Microsoft support states the problem
occurs due to a MS-DOS program which does not release the
printer port, this is not the case with CauseWay which does not
perform printer-specific setup.  The compatibility error lies
somewhere in Microsoft's code conflicting with CauseWay's 32-bit
DOS extender running in protected mode.  However, the posted
Microsoft workaround for programs which do capture the printer
port appears to work with CauseWay.  To implement the
workaround, adding the following lines to the appropriate
sections of the SYSTEM.INI file:

[Network]
PrintBufTime=10

{IFSMGR]
PrintBufTime=10

Add the sections to SYSTEM.INI if they do not already exist.
Setting values are in seconds.  If the settings are too low,
printouts may fail, and you should try increasing the settings
until correct printing again occurs.

Another workaround is to simply send  another job to the printer
which simply consists of the printer reset command (or similar
innocuous command).  This flushes the pending job immediately.

Last updated 01/09/2000
