Difference between revisions of "Windows/Console"

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956 bytes added ,  15:18, 25 October 2010
→‎Windows Console - Blessing or Curse?: In order to "reach a decision", it must be clear what the alternatives are. Tried to spell my proposal out.
(→‎Windows Console - Blessing or Curse?: In order to "reach a decision", it must be clear what the alternatives are. Tried to spell my proposal out.)
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This window is '''not''' the drop down debug console (CTRL-D), but the command line DOS style window which shows stdout messages i.e. debug() and warning().
This window is '''not''' the drop down debug console (CTRL-D), but the command line DOS style window which shows stdout messages i.e. debug() and warning().


There is a perennial argument as to whether this is a good or a bad thing, mainly with respect to novice Windows users?
There is a perennial argument as to whether this is a good or a bad thing, mainly with respect to novice Windows users-


This page exists to collect the arguments on both sides and to record counterarguments, so that:<br>
The following alternative has been proposed: Do not show this console window by default, but only show it when explicitly requested by the user (e.g. via a command line switch, a setting in the GUI, or possibly even a hotkey). In addition, when ScummVM is launched from a console, then that console would not be hidden or affected in any other way by ScummVM. That is, the only difference in behavior would be apparent in the case that ScummVM is started via the GUI (e.g. via the Start menu, by double clicking scummvm.exe, etc.).
a) a decision can be reached on this which all interested developers can be satisfied with.<br>
b) the reasons and arguments for the decision can be minuted, such that the perennial argument can be avoided in the future, unless the reasons given here can be shown to have evolved.


Log files can be used instead of the console window, which can be erased every time ScummVM starts. Ideally, we could have a "Submit" button which the user can click on to submit unknown checksums.
This page exists to collect the arguments on both sides and to record counterarguments, so that:
# a decision can be reached on this which all interested developers can be satisfied with;
# the reasons and arguments for the decision can be minuted, such that the perennial argument can be avoided in the future, unless the reasons given here can be shown to have evolved.
 
Independently of how this is resolved, log files should be introduced, which could be erased (or rotated) every time ScummVM starts. Console messages which the user really should see should be modified to use other means (this is also important for the many ports that have no way to show a DOS console). Typically by showing a GUI dialog. For the specific case of unknown MD5 checksums, we ideally would even have a "Submit feeback" dialog which could semi-automate submissions of unknown checksums (e.g. by sending an email, or opening a pre-filled email in the user's email client, etc.), at least on desktop operating systems.


== Pros (Arguments For Hiding The Console Window) ==
== Pros (Arguments For Hiding The Console Window) ==
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