Message-ID: <8D53104ECD0CD211AF4000A0C9D60AE30153AC0B@probe-2.acclaim-euro.net>
From: Shawn Hargreaves <ShawnH AT Probe DOT co DOT uk>
To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: Displaying text - Allegro
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 13:47:12 +0100
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Reply-To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com

toudi <pienkny AT friko6 DOT onet DOT pl> writes:
>> Could anyone tell me if there is an easier way to display paragraphs of
>> text other than writing out a hundred Allegro textout lines.  If so
please
>> give me a little sample of code.
>
> If you are using normal 8bit modes (320x200, 640x480) you can still use
printf.

This depends on your video BIOS. It will certainly support text output
in 320x200 VGA mode 13h, but what if Allegro decided to use some other
faster driver for that resolution, like VBE/AF? Your program almost
certainly won't work then. And there is no guarantee of whether your 
BIOS will support these functions at all in SVGA modes like 640x480x8.
You are lucky if this works on your machine, because it won't on most.

In any case, BIOS text output routines aren't all that much use in 
graphics modes because they don't give you any nice ways to control
the color or change the font.

To the original poster: you could always write a little loop that
uses Allegro functions to plot your text one line at a time, or
there are several enhanced text rendering packages available from
the addons page on the Allegro website.


	Shawn Hargreaves.