XWP v1.0.16

[David Graser]

The Xcenter cpu widget freezes along the rest of the WPS.

I am getting this error message in the popuplog.os2.

11-07-2023  14:15:34  SYS3171  PID 001f  TID 0001  Slot 0046
D:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE
c0000005
1ffc74db
P1=00000002  P2=0003fffc  P3=XXXXXXXX  P4=XXXXXXXX 
EAX=00040000  EBX=00040320  ECX=00000000  EDX=00040428
ESI=00000000  EDI=00000000 
DS=0053  DSACC=d0f3  DSLIM=5fffffff 
ES=0053  ESACC=d0f3  ESLIM=5fffffff 
FS=150b  FSACC=00f3  FSLIM=00000030
GS=0000  GSACC=****  GSLIM=********
CS:EIP=005b:1ffc74db  CSACC=d0df  CSLIM=5fffffff
SS:ESP=0053:00040000  SSACC=d0f3  SSLIM=5fffffff
EBP=0004003c  FLG=00010283

DOSCALL1.DLL 0002:000074db
 
OK, I just installed ArcaOS on another partion on the same laptop.  No problem with the startup folders on this partition.  Thus, I can only conclude I added a program or some change which causes it to hang on the other partition.  I will continue to investigate.  If I ever determine anything I will let you know. I apologize for wasting your time.

[Pete]

Hi All

Playing with the new Text Size - was on Standard - I selected Medium size, clicked Test and was a bit surprised to see the Properties notebook shrink in size. Is that supposed to happen?


Regards

Pete

[Rich Walsh]

Playing with the new Text Size - was on Standard - I selected Medium size, clicked Test and was a bit surprised to see the Properties notebook shrink in size. Is that supposed to happen?

Absolutely!

The size of dialog windows and their contents is proportional to the size of the default system font. IOW, a bigger font produces bigger dialogs. This worked great back in the days when all dialogs used the default font (System Proportional) for their text. As the font size increased, the dialogs automatically grew to accommodate. Then along came WarpSans...

To ensure that the system used the new font, eCS and AOS added entries to 'os2.ini' to force the use of 9pt WarpSans rather than the system default.. However, no one ever added an entry to lock down the default. I guess they assumed this was invariant and would always be 10pt System Proportional. But that isn't the case: at resolutions of 1280x1024 and above, the default system font changes to 12pt System Proportional. The result on higher res displays is overly-large dialogs that have been scaled to use 12pt while their content hasn't been scaled up and remains at 9pt.

'Text Size' addresses this by *always* setting the default system font to a size that will comfortably handle whatever size of WarpSans you choose. For the "Small" and "Medium" (9 and 10pt WarpSans) sizes, that's 10pt System Proportional. The result is dialogs that are the "correct" size - in this case, smaller.

[Martin Iturbide]

Hello

I also noticed that "Comer Cursor" on the mouse settings does not respect the text size too.

Is Comet Cursor on XWorkplace, AMouse, or is old IBM code that can not be updated?

Regards

[Rich Walsh]

I also noticed that "Comer Cursor" on the mouse settings does not respect the text size too.
Is Comet Cursor on XWorkplace, AMouse, or is old IBM code that can not be updated?

AOS replaces most of IBM's notebook pages with more attractive versions created by Alex Taylor. This looks like one of them. He's been working hard to get them all Text Size-compliant (and they should already be in 5.1) but he may have missed this one. I'll ask him about it.

FYI... I've been putting together a "Text Size Supplement" package that will make more WPS notebook pages work with Text Size. The most important component of the package is Alex's revised page layouts. This may not be needed for AOS 5.1 but all other release of OS/2 will benefit from installing them. Another component is a revised DTProgram DLL to make its Program object pages compliant as well. There may be other things included as well. The main hold up right now is finding time to write a custom installer (it's too complicated for WarpIn or RPM).

[Andy Willis]

XWP v1.0.16 introduces some of the most significant Desktop usability improvements in years.

XStartup
Large parts of the XStartup code have been rewritten for improved reliability. It should no longer be necessary to impose a long delay to ensure the first object starts properly. XStartup's notebook page has also been updated with XWP-Full's Boot Logo option getting its own page.

How hard would it be to add the initial delay back? I had imposed I think just a one second (maybe 3, I don't recall now) delay to prevent a 30-45 second hang that is now back (I had timed it back then but haven't now that it is back).  If the code is still there but just either commented or ifdef'd out, I should be able to build it (assuming my build environment is still good).

[Andy Willis]

XWP v1.0.16 introduces some of the most significant Desktop usability improvements in years.

XStartup
Large parts of the XStartup code have been rewritten for improved reliability. It should no longer be necessary to impose a long delay to ensure the first object starts properly. XStartup's notebook page has also been updated with XWP-Full's Boot Logo option getting its own page.

How hard would it be to add the initial delay back? I had imposed I think just a one second (maybe 3, I don't recall now) delay to prevent a 30-45 second hang that is now back (I had timed it back then but haven't now that it is back).  If the code is still there but just either commented or ifdef'd out, I should be able to build it (assuming my build environment is still good).

Never mind, I was able to work around it by moving TCPIP startup to launch second instead of first.  Previously, I was unsuccessful in affecting the hang by changing the order.

[Rich Walsh]

Large parts of the XStartup code have been rewritten for improved reliability. It should no longer be necessary to impose a long delay to ensure the first object starts properly.

How hard would it be to add the initial delay back? I had imposed I think just a one second (maybe 3, I don't recall now) delay to prevent a 30-45 second hang that is now back (I had timed it back then but haven't now that it is back). 

I didn't get rid of the delay. It was a global rather than per-object setting, so I moved it to the Desktop 'Startup' tab where you create your first Startup folder. It starts out set to 1 second because there's always a 1-sec delay before XWP does _anything_. Values greater than 1 include that initial delay.

If the code is still there but just either commented or ifdef'd out, I should be able to build it (assuming my build environment is still good).

I seldom leave detritus lying around - that's what version-control systems are for. If there's a problem with any change I've made, please advise so that I can fix it for all users (assuming it needs fixing).

[Andy Willis]

Large parts of the XStartup code have been rewritten for improved reliability. It should no longer be necessary to impose a long delay to ensure the first object starts properly.

How hard would it be to add the initial delay back? I had imposed I think just a one second (maybe 3, I don't recall now) delay to prevent a 30-45 second hang that is now back (I had timed it back then but haven't now that it is back). 

I didn't get rid of the delay. It was a global rather than per-object setting, so I moved it to the Desktop 'Startup' tab where you create your first Startup folder. It starts out set to 1 second because there's always a 1-sec delay before XWP does _anything_. Values greater than 1 include that initial delay.

If the code is still there but just either commented or ifdef'd out, I should be able to build it (assuming my build environment is still good).

I seldom leave detritus lying around - that's what version-control systems are for. If there's a problem with any change I've made, please advise so that I can fix it for all users (assuming it needs fixing).

OK, tested making the changes on the startup tab.  After moving tcpip startup back to the first program to launch and booted set to 3 seconds, 2 seconds and unhelpfully back at 1 second (unhelpfully in that I now have no idea why it was hanging as it no longer does in the original configuration).

[Andy Willis]

OK, one thing that should be checked to see if it is just an oddity on my system. Whenever I open the desktop properties and go to the Startup tab the delay always initially shows 1.  If I had previously changed it, I can hit Default and it will then show the number I had changed it to.  I can change tabs and go back and it will show the number I had set it to (IOW, going back to 1 is only on initial open).  If I open the Desktop properties and do not open the startup tab, make some changes on other tabs and close it and then open the Desktop properties and the startup tab, I can click default and have the number I had previously set.  If I open the Desktop properties and open the startup tab and close the properties, when I reopen the properties it will have saved the 1 second delay (IOW now clicking default does not change it to what I had set it to previously because it saved the 1 that was showing when I closed the properties.). 

Steps to reproduce:
Open Desktop properties
Open startup tab
change Delay to a number other than 1
Close Desktop properties
Open Desktop properties
Open startup tab
observe Delay

If, as on my system, Delay is back to 1 Click Default at the bottom and observe the number.
Now close Desktop properties
Open Desktop properties, open any or all tabs other than Startup
Close Desktop properties
Open Desktop properties
Open Startup Tab
Observe Delay
If shows 1, click Default button and observe Delay time (if as on mine, it will be the number set)
Close Desktop properties
Open Desktop properties
Observe delay time
Close Desktop properties
Open Desktop properties
Open Startup tab
Observe Delay
Click Default (if as on mine, it will now be 1).

[Dave Yeo]

The help says,

Code: [Select]

Delay
This sets the number of seconds XStartup should wait the after the Desktop is ready before opening the first object in the first XStartup folder. XWorkplace always waits a minimum of 1 second; this is the default. You can choose a delay from 1 to 10 seconds.


[Dariusz Piatkowski]

Rich!

First of all, as many others have stated: big 'Thank You' for not only keeping this great WPS enhancement alive, but improving it as well!

Playing with the new Text Size - was on Standard - I selected Medium size, clicked Test and was a bit surprised to see the Properties notebook shrink in size. Is that supposed to happen?

Absolutely!

The size of dialog windows and their contents is proportional to the size of the default system font. IOW, a bigger font produces bigger dialogs. This worked great back in the days when all dialogs used the default font (System Proportional) for their text. As the font size increased, the dialogs automatically grew to accommodate. Then along came WarpSans...
...
'Text Size' addresses this by *always* setting the default system font to a size that will comfortably handle whatever size of WarpSans you choose. For the "Small" and "Medium" (9 and 10pt WarpSans) sizes, that's 10pt System Proportional. The result is dialogs that are the "correct" size - in this case, smaller.

A question and suggestion (albeit a personal taste based one):

1) QUESTION
The 'Text Size' tab HELP states the following in relation to those using SNAP:

Code: [Select]

Note: if you use SNAP/Scitech Graphics, please remove any SET SDDFONTSIZE= or SET SDDFONTDPI= entries from 'config.sys' before rebooting to ensure expected results.

Can you elaborate further?

I do use SNAP, and upon seeing this I REMed the statements in my CONFIG.SYS. But several reboots later, having saived my new INI files (backup) I turned these back ON and see no difference. Therefore I am curious what you were worried about?

2) SUGGESTION
1920x1200 display here (x2 given SNAP multi-head). I had previously moved all my FOLDERS to using 10. WarpSans, and was toying with the idea of adjusting the MENUs as well, etc. Just never got around to it.

Given your XWP update however, and having selected the MEDIUM size option I came to discover what I felt was a rather curious font/sizing choice for the default XWP menu, that being: '9. WarpSans Bold'.

Take a look at the attached couple of screenshots.

- first one is the default XWP MEDIUM setting
- the second one is my tweaked setting of '10. WarpSans' (mostly b/c I prefer the light fonts)

Given the overall proportionality of the results it feels (again, VERY subjective lol) like the 10 pt is the better fitting size.

[Rich Walsh]

Whenever I open the desktop properties and go to the Startup tab the delay always initially shows 1.  If I had previously changed it, I can hit Default and it will then show the number I had changed it to.

I had a quick look at this. If you set the value to say, 6, it will stay that way and the initial delay _will_ be 6 seconds - as long as you don't look at the Startup tab again. Displaying that tab is what resets the value to 1 (for as-yet unknown reasons).

If you want a safe way to confirm the setting is what you want, open an INI editor and look for XWorkplace->ulStartupInitialDelay. If present, its value is your chosen delay in milliseconds rendered in hex, If it's missing, then it has been reset to the default of 1 second.

I'll certainly get this fixed but it may be a while before the next release. When I have the makings of an initial beta that includes the fix I'll let you know.

[Rich Walsh]

having selected the MEDIUM size option I came to discover what I felt was a rather curious font/sizing choice for the default XWP menu, that being: '9. WarpSans Bold'. [...]  it feels (again, VERY subjective lol) like the [non-Bold] 10 pt is the better fitting size.

My overriding goal In implementing 'Text Size' was "user acceptance". Put another way, avoiding anything that would give people a reason for not using a feature that would clearly benefit them.

First and foremost in the list of things to avoid was any consideration of aesthetics. I fully agree with you that 'WarpSans Bold' at any size is a lousy font for menus. But, after all these years of people not complaining about it, it wasn't for me to go changing the status quo. By having Text Size use the exact same fonts that have been in place since eCS 1.0, no one can claim "aesthetic degradation" as a reason for not using it.

The 'Text Size' tab HELP states the following in relation to those using SNAP:

Note: if you use SNAP/Scitech Graphics, please remove any SET SDDFONTSIZE= or SET SDDFONTDPI= entries from 'config.sys' before rebooting to ensure expected results.

Can you elaborate further?

All of these SNAP and Panorama settings materially interfere with Text Size's operation by causing the system to choose the wrong default system font. Essentially, they were hacks to work around the lack of a comprehensive facility like Text Size. Further, they were added back in the days when 1024x768 was considered "high resolution" - they just don't have any relevance anymore, so don't set them.

[David Graser]

Rich

While working on the BigIcons themes, I noticed a naming descrepancy .

In the System Setup folder, there is a folder called Extended Menu Options.

In the System Setup folder > XWP Installation folder, there is the XWPlace Configuration Folder.

Boh folders have the same object ID

"<XWP_CONFIG>"
 
I found this a little confusing until I realized what was done.  Is this intentional? I like the Extended Menus Option name.  Both folders share the same object ID and icon.