Short:    AMOSPro GUI Compiler V2 - Phoenix
Author:   Pietro Ghizzoni (ghizzo@agonet.it)
Uploader: Pietro Ghizzoni (ghizzo@agonet.it)
Type:     dev/amos



Introduction
------------
How does the GUI compiler work? What's the difference? The main difference
between the GUI and AMOSPro compilers is that the compiled code generated by
the GUI compiler hides all the AMOS "system unfriendly" code. If you zap the
code you'll see nothing AMOS related. If you zap the code generated by the
standard AMOSPro compiler, you'll find tons of AMOS stuff, like the names
of all the extensions installed in your system and other preferences.

If you trace an AMOS compiled program using SnoopDOS or other programs,
you'll notice other activities like search for and freeze any other
running AMOS programs, search for the mysterious AMOS_Switcher and other
stuff. The GUI Compiler removes these useless operations.

If you run a virus checker together with AMOS, it will probably pop up a
warning message because some system functions have been modified.

For experts:

- Graphics.library   LoadView() only on AGA machines
- Intuition.library  EasyRequestArgs()
- Intuition.library  AutoRequest()


....the GUI Compiler removes them as well.


So essentially the GUI compiler:

- hides the AMOS rubbish in the code.

- makes your AMOS programs able to run in multitasking with the other AMOS
  programs. As you know you can't run two or more AMOS programs together,
  because only the last one will run while the others will be freezed. Now
  you can!

- makes your programs more "clean" and virus checkers warnings free.

Since so many AMOS tags have been removed from the code, it is not a good
idea to use it in AMOS games, for example. The GUI Compiler is specifically
designed for Workbench applications. If your program runs in the Workbench
environment, it doesn't need the AMOS patches and hacks.. for this reason
i've created the GUI Compiler.

If you need to open AMOS screens and related stuffs, use the AMOSPro compiler.

If you're creating a nice Workbench application, use the GUI compiler.

See also the Gui Amiga Os command for extra bonus in your programs!
                


How to use it
-------------

The new phoenix version of the GUI Compiler works in a different way
respect its older versions. Now the compiler is fully integrated with the
editor, and so you can use it like all the other C++/Asm compilers. How?

Very simple... now the GUI compiler is able to read the compiling options
directly from your source code! Example:


' OPT DEST Ram:Test NOLIB DEBUG

You just need to put at the start of your source code a line like the above
example... a Rem followed by the OPT keyword and your options for the
compiler. The supported options are:

DEST     -   the destination path of the executable created by the compiler

INCLIB   -   includes the gui.library in the executable (DEFAULT)

NOLIB    -   the gui.library is not included in the executable

DEBUG    -   enable the debug output. While your program is runnnig, in the
             amiga shell will be printed the line number currently executed.

LONG     -   use LONGword Jumps (jsr) in the executable

NOLONG   -   use short jumps (bsr) in the executable (DEFAULT)

LINE     -   save the source code informations in the executable, so when a
             error occurs, a message like "Illegal function call at line xxx" will
             appears.


IMPORTANT: the GUI compiler will save the currently loaded source code
before compile it!!