[DUG] [computing] 16 bit compiler and Ancient Mariners

[John Bird]

The reason is that the earlier 16 bit version of the runtime I already have and is effectively free, to get the current development kit (for 32 bit) is over $3000 USD subscription per year, and costs a licence fee for every screen it is deployed on.   You may think Delphi is expensive, but not compared to these prices, for a language not even in the TIOBE top 100 languages.

This is the reason I moved to Delphi in the first place, because the development and deploy model is so much better, as well as more functional, and why I would like to keep adding extras using Delphi rather than the original language.

I only need to compile Delphi to 16 bit if I am using the DOS emulator on 64 bit WIndows, if it is run in a 32 bit Windows environment, then both 16bit and 32 bit software both run native.
From: Robo 
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2016 11:25 PM
To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List 
Subject: Re: [DUG] [computing] 16 bit compiler and Ancient Mariners

You said you would like to add some Delphi add-ons. Since you're still adding features to this application, may be it's time to compile it to 32bit. 

Robo

On Fri, Feb 26, 2016 at 12:33 AM, John Bird <johnkbird at paradise.net.nz> wrote:

  To get best performance out of DOSBOX, have to set its cpu utilisation to either high or max, and it tends to put about 10-15% load on the CPU a lot of the time. Less if set to a lower cpu usage, but also slower.

  When I say no networking, it can mount drives so all networked drives are fine, but no NET USE and  PING and related commands.   No Timeout, or the other commands mentioned either.   Apart from that its very stable, in fact more stable than the Windows 7 CMD processor running the same software on a 32 bit Windows.

  Unrelated, but fun – I was swapping addresses with a german friend, and he was entering my details on his phone into something looking very ancient so I had to ask what it was – turns out was his legacy DOS address book app and he has it running on Android via DOSBOX Turbo – the android version of the same software.

  From: Jolyon Direnko-Smith 
  Sent: Friday, February 26, 2016 11:31 AM
  To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List 
  Subject: Re: [DUG] [computing] 16 bit compiler and Ancient Mariners

  Just curious as to why not eating the CPU is important in this case ?

  Unless DOSBOX is very primitive in this regard the CPU that is "eaten" will presumably be the virtual CPU of the VM, not the physical CPU of the host.  I haven't tested it but I would have thought that modern CPU's are unlikely to break a sweat when virtualising even a 100% utilised 8086.  :)

  On 26 February 2016 at 10:32, John Bird <johnkbird at paradise.net.nz> wrote:

    Already investigated that – the DOSBOX emulator has no Timeout, or ping command, no networking at all.   If there is no sleep command that does not eat the CPU then I don’t need to look further....



    From: Jolyon Direnko-Smith 
    Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2016 7:19 PM
    To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List 
    Subject: Re: [DUG] [computing] 16 bit compiler and Ancient Mariners

    As a matter of historical curiosity, Delphi 1 was the first AND last version to support 16-bit targets.

    Delphi 2 included Delphi 1 in the box for people that still needed 16-bit support but otherwise it was 32-bit all the way from Delphi 2 onward.


    There is no direct Sleep() equivalent in 16-bit and some of the other techniques may help in the absence of that.  NB. If you have a TCP/IP stack and can use PING then you can use that trick and when considering an IP address to [ab]use, there is (as they say) no place like home:

        ping 127.0.0.1 -n 2 -w 10000 > NUL

    Also note that the -w delay is BETWEEN pings.  The first ping is instant, so to wait for that specified delay you need to ping TWICE (-n 2).

    Redirecting to NUL also ensures that the PING output doesn't clutter up your screen (if that's important).



    Incidentally, I still have an XP VM hosting my "Delphi Museum".  That is, functional installations of Delphi 1 thru 6 so if you ever reach a point where you simply need to compile some Delphi 1 code feel free to get in touch.  I may be able to act as a compiler proxy for you.   :)

    On 25 February 2016 at 17:51, David O'Brien <Dave at iccs.co.nz> wrote:

      Or "timeout 10" in a batch file...


      -----Original Message-----
      From: delphi-bounces at listserver.123.net.nz [mailto:delphi-bounces at listserver.123.net.nz] On Behalf Of Peter Ingham
      Sent: Thursday, 25 February 2016 5:45 pm
      To: NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi List <delphi at listserver.123.net.nz>
      Subject: Re: [DUG] [computing] 16 bit compiler and Ancient Mariners

      On 25/02/2016 4:47 p.m., John Bird wrote:
      > I have some legacy software that requires DOSBOX (DOS emulator to run
      > 16 bit
      > software) when running on 64 bit Windows.
      >
      > I would like to add some Delphi addons already written, mainly
      > console/command line apps, but all the versions of these I currently
      > have, (built with Delphi 5/6/2007) say simply This program requires
      > Win32 to run, ie they are 32 bit compiled even as console apps.
      >
      > Is there any option in Delphi to compile for 16 bit OS or do I have to
      > find Delphi 1 or 2 or whichever was the last 16 bit version?  (have
      > D2007 and versions up to Seattle)
      >
      > One of the main things I want is to have a command to sleep for 10
      > seconds without Clobbering the CPU - exactly what sleep(10000) would do - on Win32
      > it uses a WIn32 API.   If there is no 16 bit equivalent, ie no
      > implementation of sleep() in 16 bit Delphi, then I would like to know.
      >
      > This question is mainly for other ancient mariners out there who like
      > me lived through a lot more of IT history than they like to admit.
      >
      > _______________________________________________
      > NZ Borland Developers Group - Delphi mailing list
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      > Admin: http://delphi.org.nz/mailman/listinfo/delphi
      > Unsubscribe: send an email to delphi-request at listserver.123.net.nz
      > with Subject: unsubscribe
      >
      I'm presuming you want a command-line command you can call from a batch script.

      On systems with TCP/IP networking, you can use a ping to an address you know does not exist to simulate a Sleep (the subnet must exist).

      e.g: "ping 192.168.253 -n 1 -w 2000"  for a 2 second delay or "ping
      192.168.253 -n 1 -w 10000" for 10 seconds.


      Regards
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