Window System Features
PV-WAVE utilizes the native window system by creating and using one or more largely independent windows, each of which can be used for the display of graphics and/or images. One color table is shared among these windows. Up to 32 separate windows can be active at any time. Windows are referenced using their index, an integer value between 0 and 31.
“Dithering” or halftoning techniques are used to display images with multiple shades of gray on monochrome displays—displays that can only display white or black. This topic is discussed in the PV‑WAVE User Guide.
Graphic and image output is always directed to the current window. When a window system is selected as the current graphics device, the index number of the current window is found in the !D.Window system variable. This variable equals –1 if no window is open or selected. The WSET procedure is used to change the current window. WSHOW hides or displays a window. WDELETE deletes a window.
The WINDOW procedure cre
How Is Backing Store Handled?
One of the features that distinguishes various window systems is how they handle the issue of backing store. When part of a window that was previously not visible is exposed, there are two basic
The X Window and Microsoft Windows systems do not by default keep track of window contents.
The window system drivers allow you to control backing store using the Retain keyword to the DEVICE and WINDOW procedures. Using Retain with DEVICE allows you to set the default action for all windows, while using it with WINDOW lets you override the default for the new window. The possible values for this keyword are summarized in the following list, and are described in greater detail following the list.
1—(The Default) The server or window system is requested to retain the window.
2—PV‑WAVE should provide a backing pixmap and handle the backing store directly (X Window System only).
0—A value of 0 specifies that no backing store is kept. In this case, exposing a previously obscured window leaves the missing portion of the window blank. Although this behavior can be inconvenient, it usually has the highest performance because there is no need to keep a copy of the window contents.
1—(The Default) Setting the Retain keyword to 1 causes PV‑WAVE to request that a backing store be maintained. If the window system decides to accept the request, it automatically repairs the missing portions when the window is exposed. X Windows may or may not, depending on the capabilities of the server and the resources available to it.
2—Specifies that PV‑WAVE should keep a backing store for the window itself, and repair any window damage when the window system requests it. This option exists mainly for the X Window System. Under X, a pixmap (off-screen display memory) the same size as the window is created at the same time the window
If the type of backing store to use is not explicitly specified using the Retain keyword, PV‑WAVE assumes Option 1 and requests the window system to keep a backing store.
DEVICE, Retain=2
is set by the Standard Library procedure SETDEMO_RS6000.pro. With backing store enabled, you can achieve increased performance by setting DEVICE, Retain=1
. Your system administrator can help you determine whether or not backing store is enabled on your system. To enable backing store, kill your workstation’s X server and restart with:xinit -- -bs -fn fixed