Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 12:08:20 +0300 (IDT)
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>
To: "M. Schulter" <mschulter AT value DOT net>
cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: Emacs M-! and graphics mode
In-Reply-To: <6gm7ea$r6t$1@vnetnews.value.net>
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.980412120801.3322S-100000@is>
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On 10 Apr 1998, M. Schulter wrote:

> For some reason -- although I didn't expect it to work, for the reason you
> give -- I found that I can run a free DOS command-line graphics viewer
> called PICEM as a Shell Command (M-!) without any problem.

The reason probably is that PICEM restores the video mode and the
screen contents before it exits.  This is what a well-behaved program
should do, but people who have written graphics programs for the PC
know what a hassle this can be, what with all the different (and
buggy) graphics cards out there.

That is why using `M-!' to run such programs is not recommended.

> Simply running an automated Shell Command, rather than suspending Emacs,
> is obviously must faster

It is faster, but not ``much faster''.  The only speed gain is that
you save some keystrokes to type the command line after you shell to
DOS, and type "Exit RET" after you are done.  Using any of the
available keyboard enhancers will make this a non-issue, IMHO.