Yes, Microsoft does provide a standard and very BIG API - because they
needed to due to the complexities of Windows. But, as far as making a
DOS-based contest logging program network-aware, you have all the API you
need - the good old IBM ROM BIOS and Microsoft conveniently provided an
entire suite of services directly accessible through DOS. The DOS services
are as standard and generally accepted as it gets. Nothing else special is
needed for the basics. To go beyond the basics is really not that
complicated. A simple UDP or TCP service can be built with very minimal
effort, and there is a LOT of example code out there. No API needed. If
you really need someone else's code, companies like Turbo Power made a very
nice suite of programming modules, many of which were object-oriented. Turbo
Power's Pascal code was rock solid, and can simplify the interface of some
powerful code - all without the need for an API. It is no nightmare to
code, no need to know anything about anybody else's hardware, etc.
Thanks,
Kevin.
------------------------------------------------------
Kevin Hemsley
kev@ida.net
KB7TYA
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