Enhancement suggestions on windows

[winspool]

In an attempt to try bug #1167 on Win11 (64bit), i installed: https://github.com/open-watcom/open-watcom-v2/releases/download/Current-build/open-watcom-2_0-c-win-x64.exe and found some things, which i think, can be made more modern:

• During the Install, the background of the Open Watcom Installer hides my Desktop. While a Fullscreen Background was OK on DOS, i suggest to allow the Open Watcom Installer Background on other OS to be moveable, minimized and resized.

• The Font size is very small and Dialog Texts are hard to read on a small Laptop Display (15" Full HD). I suggest to support to increase the Font Size with "STRG" & "+" (and decrease the Font Size with "STRG" & "-"). (The same shortcuts as supported by the common Web Browsers)

• The Windows created by the installer should be bigger and resizeable when the display is 800x600 or bigger. (Example: The License Dialog Window).

• When the Installer asks for a Path, the Installer is still in the DOS Area: I must manual enter the Path in a string field. There should be a way to select a directory with a Browse Dialog (Prefered: The System Dialog. Fallback: A Dialog from the OW UI libs).

• When I allow the Installer to set the Associations, the Open Watcom Editor is used for C files, but there should be also a way to use the IDE to edit source files.

• I can use "Open with..." on a C file and select the IDE, but the IDE Fails with: Unable to open the project "C File name" What about: The File "C File name" is not an Open Watcom Project File and no Project file was found in this location. Should I create a new Project, which contains "C File name"?

• There is no Entry in the "New..." submenu of the Folder Context Menu. What about "Open Watcom Project" or "C/C++ Source File"?

[jmalak]

I have a note to IDE. IDE cannot work with source files as standalone, you need always specify project first and one target as minimum then you can add any source file. IDE is strictly based on project and target items hierarchy. Source file is lowest hierarchy item. If such functionality is required then some dummy/default project and target must be created first to be able add source file and edit it. !!! IDE is not text editor and doesn't include editor, it call external editor if item is source file !!! An IDE is just a framework for building an executable (top of the hierarchy) and works with object dependencies and has defined rules for what should be done with each type of object, etc. The IDE does nothing but call various tools according to the rules.

To installer changes. Take into account that installer is character/GUI mixed application that must works on all supported OS-es with single source code. Therefore it use part of gui project (single API for character and graphical windows system) and there are limitation dictated by this API. May be it will require enhancement/fixing of UI/GUI project API before you will be able realized such changes in installer.

Any useful contribution is welcome.

[joncampbell123]

I have a note to IDE. IDE cannot work with source files as standalone, you need always specify project first and one target as minimum then you can add any source file. IDE is strictly based on project and target items hierarchy. Source file is lowest hierarchy item. If such functionality is required then some dummy/default project and target must be created first to be able add source file and edit it. !!! IDE is not text editor and doesn't include editor, it call external editor if item is source file !!! An IDE is just a framework for building an executable (top of the hierarchy) and works with object dependencies and has defined rules for what should be done with each type of object, etc. The IDE does nothing but call various tools according to the rules.

To installer changes. Take into account that installer is character/GUI mixed application that must works on all supported OS-es with single source code. Therefore it use part of gui project (single API for character and graphical windows system) and there are limitation dictated by this API. May be it will require enhancement/fixing of UI/GUI project API before you will be able realized such changes in installer.

Any useful contribution is welcome.

What minimum size character display is the installer designed for? 80x25? Perhaps the GUI could just size it's background window based on 80W by 25H where W and H are the dimensions of a reference character, perhaps the letter "M", and work within that. Give it a title bar for the user to drag around and it would work like any other installer.

[jmalak]

If I remember correctly then Installer is reading screen geometry on host it is part of GUI project initialization. By example on DOS you can switch your mode to more then 80x24 and installer will use it. The same on linux there is read geometry of terminal and installer use full size. It rearange size of dialogs with regards to screen size. In installer is nothing related to setup screen geometry (as mode switching). Only on Windows and OS/2 where GUI is available installer is running in GUI mode on other hosts only character mode installers are available. It is completely dependent on current host setting.

[joncampbell123]

Then perhaps what the Windows and Linux installers could do is simply not create the background window at all. Just have the dialog box to install with, just like every other installer out there these days. People would prefer to be able to do something while an installer is running, like browse the web.