Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

    You may want to forward this to Jim Flatten at DSSDEV::FLATTEN (I think
    he's there...).  I'm not sure just how much he watches these
    conferences but I think that he can help.
    
    				-=> Jim <=-
    

    You may also want to try the FIREFOX conference.  I think Peter
    (the) Hack answered similar questions there only yesterday.  In
    any case, Peter could most certainly answer these as well.
    
    Todd

    For sake of expediency I'll try (I'm responsilble for Ultrix/PHIGS but
    there is some commonality in the drivers).
    
    [I've passed this along to the appropriate people although they may not
    receive it right away]
    
    1. I believe that it is possible but I'm quite sure that it wouldn't 
       be supported (at least in version 2.0)
    
    2. Which ID's are you refering, DECW or PHIGS?  If the app. is trying to
       write to a DECW window (as is 1.) then the answer is again possibly.
       If it wants the PHIGS window ID's then yes that is available.
    
    3. I don't see the problem with this.  Each app. (PHIGS and the user
       written X tool) are responsible for their own updates.  Please
       elaborate if I'm missing something.
    
    4. Yes, but not in V2.0
    
    BTW: as an earlier note mentioned contact the Prod. Mgr. for *official*
    answers (these and *any* replys to Notes are *not official*)

 >1. When you open a PHIGS workstation, can it use an already existing 
 >DECwindows window?  If so, how does it get the window id?

  Yes, Both PHIGS and GKS can do this through a specific workstation type
  for DECWINDOWS (212 for basic DECwindows or 222 for a VS3520 under PHIGS)
  PHIGS/GKS gets the WINDOW id and DISPLAY ID as the Connection Identifier.
  In fact this conid can write in ANY decwindows drawable. Several groups
  of isv's already use this. You can also open PHIGS/GKS in A widget
  (device type 213 and 223). Device type 212 and 222 are both output only 
   however.

 >2. Given an open PHIGS workstation how can I find out what windows it is 
 >   using to draw to and what their id's are

  You can do this via an ESCAPE function for workstation types 211 and 221
  (the standard PHIGS/GKS workstations). With Workstation type 212 and 222
  you already have the window id's . This gives you the parent windows and from
  here you can use X calls to find the children. In Device types 222 and 212 
  won't be any children, device types 211 and 221 make widgets, and sometimes 
  transparent windows for input. I am unsure what children a 213/223 will
  create/use.. 

>3. Given I use both PHIGS calls and x graphics calls to the same >window?
>   How can I handle window refresh, since PHIGS wants to handle that but 
>   does not know (presumably) about the x calls to the window?.

   Depends on the workstation type. For the drawable 212 or 222 (where you
   hand us a window ALL redraws are the responsibility of the application,
   including refreshing PHIGS things if required (i.e. you may have to call
   redraw all structures to get things back). For 221 and 211 phigs will 
   refresh what it knows is present (GKS also, but GKS doesn't know about
   objects not stored in segments). For 213, I am less clear, but I believe
   either the widget, or PHIGS is responsible.

>4. Does DEC intend to support function prototypes for the c binding of PHIGS?
 V2.0 doesn't have function prototypes, future versions intend to support
 PCC on ultrix instead of VCC to get DECstation 3100 support. PCC does NOT
 support function prototypes and is never likely to (if you change how PCC
 worked you'd break a LOT of unix code including some parts of it's kernel).
 Thus future versions would only support prototypes under VMS where an
 ANSI C compiler is useable. If you need functional prototypes, get it in as
 a phase 0 request to Jim Flatten for the next version of PHIGS.

As someone else said Peter Hack has done a lot of this stuff and might be able
to give more complete answers (I can also do it, but I'd have to fish
around to find the code examples, Peter makes constant use of them).
Jim Flatten could also get you further info and maybe find you some
more explicit support. Last of all if you need examples and
don't need them right this minute, I can fish around and find simple examples
of using the 222 and 223 (or 212 and 213) workstation types.



 

Thanks for the quick responses!  Will check with Jim and then give the 
customer his long-awaited answers.

g.

    Re .4: Just one quibble. The C compiler on the DECstations (supplied by
    MIPSCo of course) does have function prototype capability (I just
    tested it). There is no need to drop function prototypes just to
    support the DECstation.

I wholeheartedly concur with Flavio in .6.

We WILL need function prototyping on the DECstation and its follow-on 
products, which will be a big seller for PHIGS.

g.