From:	James Vasile <jvv2 AT columbia DOT edu>
Newsgroups:	comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject:	Re: Advice needed: displaying many pcx images for emulator front end
Date:	Fri, 29 Oct 1999 04:22:39 -0400
Organization:	Columbia University
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To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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Reply-To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com

This is a really interesting question. I presume that if you list all
2000 games that your menu doesn't fit on one screen, that there is
some scrolling. If I were tackling this problem, I'd cache pics for
all the games currently viewable in the scroll list +/- one page worth
of scroll. Also, catch keyboard hits in your pic load and display
routines. If user hits a key, process it before continuing to
load/display pics. That way if user pages through the list to the end,
there will be little to no delay. This takes a bit of coding, but it's
not too complicated. I think that C++ might be easier to do this in
than C, but I've not done much C++.

On Wed, 27 Oct 1999 23:26:18 GMT, quake AT megsinet DOT net (exph) wrote:

>I am currently making a simple front end for mame as a project to
>increase my knowledge of allegro and djgpp. I assume most of you know
>what a front end is but for those who don't a front end(at least for
>emulators) is a program that lists all of the games you have and you
>pick wich one you want to play. Much easier than having to fool with
>command lines. I know there are many high quality front ends already
>out but I want to make this one myself for fun. My question is how
>should I go about showing pcx screen shots for the games when you have
>one highlighted? If I read the pcx from the hard drive every time I
>need one you won't be able to navigate the menu smoothly because the
>disk will be thrashing. Mame runs just under 2000 games now so there
>is no way I can load that many screen shots into memory. Should I
>cache as many screen shots as memory allows and just read the hard
>drive when I need one that isn't cached? Help! One other quick
>question. Would it be better to shell to mame or to simply terminate
>my program and have it run once mame is done with a simple batch file?
>Does shelling  decrease mames performance? For those of you who have
>gotten down to this point thank you very much for taking the time to
>read this ;-). 
>exph 

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