According to skye:

Yes, I can get that to work but what still fails is when gBuffer is allocated using new(): [...] ScreenBlit( gBuffer); (* crashes in the movedata() from the std C lib *)

Again: How did you declare the "ScreenBlit" procedure?

Now I'm not too sure how memory allocation works under pascal. Is this right? I don't have many examples to got from and they all work something like this. would this be the same as this in C:

char* gBuffer; gBuffer = malloc(320*200); free(gBuffer);

Yes.

now I haven't seen GetMem before. The examples I'm using just use the method i've shown above. Does GetMem work like malloc() where I can specify the amount at runtime? (this would be nice).

Yes. `GetMem' is a Borland Pascal extension:

GetMem ( gBuffer, 320 * 200 ); FreeMem ( gBuffer, 320 * 200 );

GPC also allows the following:

gBuffer:= GetMem ( 320 * 200 ); FreeMem ( gBuffer ); (* 2. parameter is optional in GPC *)

Also, isn't there a limit to the amount of static variable memory I can use (DS)?

No.

I don't want to have to fidle with my compiler options to increase it. If I have a static array that is 64k there is potental for probles way down the road, esp. if I have other large static structres.

Feel free to allocate static structures of 1MB or above. This is one reason why I am using GPC rather than BP for scientific programs. (-:

Sorry about the basic Pascal questions. It is strange switching from C/C++ to Pascal without documentation. I keep trying to do something one way and find out after much frustration that is done another in Pascal. I have only a few Pascal DOCS I have found online and they all use TP. Are there any using GPC?

AFAIK, the only existing GPC documentation is our info documentation and the GPC FAQ. You can find both in your GPC distribution, or online at

http://home.pages.de/~GNU-Pascal/gpc-doc.html

http://home.pages.de/~GNU-Pascal/gpc-faq.html

If anybody wants to help to create more documentation, I suggest the following:

Collect all this information from this list, e.g. the `GetMem' stuff above, put it into a reasonable structure, and add it to the GNU Texinfo documentation. If you have any questions, be sure that I will help you.

Like this, the reference will be made available as on-line help, e.g. with Ctrl+F1 when using the RHIDE.

I am starting to do this *now* by writing something about Integer types. It is appended below, so you have an example what I am speaking of and would like to recieve. If you have more ideas, e.g. to write something about `writeln', just do it and post it here!

Greetings,

Peter

Dipl.-Phys. Peter Gerwinski, Essen, Germany, free physicist and programmer peter.gerwinski@uni-essen.de - http://home.pages.de/~peter.gerwinski/ [970201] maintainer GNU Pascal [970420] - http://home.pages.de/~gnu-pascal/ [970125]

8< ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

@node Integer @subsection Integer @cindex Integer types

GNU Pascal supports the following Integer types:

@table @samp @item ByteInt signed 8-bit integer type, @samp{-128..128} @item Byte unsigned 8-bit integer type, @samp{0..255} @item ShortInt signed 16-bit integer type, @samp{-32768..32767} @item ShortWord unsigned 16-bit integer type, @samp{0..65535} @item Integer signed 32-bit integer type, @samp{-2147483648..2147483647} @item Word unsigned 32-bit integer type, @samp{0..4294967295} @item LongInt signed 64-bit integer type, @samp{-9223372036854775808..9223372036854775807} @item LongWord unsigned 64-bit integer type, @samp{0..18446744073709551615} @end table

ISO Pascal defines only @samp{Integer}; the other types are GNU extensions.

Some of these types (@samp{Byte}, @samp{ShortInt}, @samp{Word}, and @samp{LongInt}) are available in Borland Pascal, too, but have a different size there.

For sake of compatibility to Borland Pascal, @samp{LongInt} can also be called @samp{Comp}.

On the i386 processor family, operations with @samp{Integer} usually work faster than operations with shorter integer types like @samp{ShortInt} or @samp{ByteInt}.

@strong{Known bug:} At the moment, GPC's run time library is not able to @samp{write} or @samp{writeln} integer types longer than @samp{Integer}.

@c ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

@node LongInt @subsection LongInt

@samp{LongInt} is GPC's signed 64-bit integer type, @samp{-9223372036854775808..9223372036854775807}. For sake of compatibility to Borland Pascal, @samp{LongInt} can also be called @samp{Comp}.

@xref{Integer} @xref{LongWord} @xref{Comp}

@c ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

@node LongWord @subsection LongWord

@samp{ByteInt} is GPC's unsigned unsigned 64-bit integer type, @samp{0..18446744073709551615}.

@xref{Integer} @xref{LongInt}

@c ============================================================================