vDos window issues running Micro CDS/ISIS

[radait]

Hi! Thank you so much for this wonderful software. It has allowed me to run a pretty old software (Micro CDS/ISIS).

I have noticed a rare issue using the Search function in MicroCDS that seems related to the window height (or at least how is rendered in vDos).

I'm attaching a few screenshots that may be useful to understand the issue:
1) MicroCDS - DOSBox: In the past I was able to run Micro CDS/ISIS in DOSBox. You can see that the table containing results had double borders, all results were shown inside the table and the menu commands were properly displayed.

2) MicroCDS - vDos - Spanish: Although menu commands are properly displayed, search results are shown outside the table.

3) MicroCDS - vDos - English: Now results are shown inside the table, but menu commands disappeared.

I've tried changing the TEXT options (for example, 30x80 instead of 25x80), SCALE and WINDOW but without success.

Please, would you give me advice to solve this issue?

Thank you!

Attachments:

[Jos]

My guess would be ISIS uses ANSI escape code sequences to position its output etc.

The support/emulation of ANSI.SYS in vDos is however more complete and bug free than that of DOSBox.

Perhaps you use an older version of vDos that doesn’t support the command to stuff the cursor position into the keyboard buffer. Or some TSR program is loaded interfering with that.

Else post the program, what’s needed to reconstruct your examples, and instruction how to.

Jos

[radait]

Hi Jos,

Thank you so much for your support.

You may download MicroCDS from cloud.exactas.unlp.edu.ar/s/NsEeZsp7PopJBWS.

1) Please extract it and then open vDos.exe.
2) It will prompt you for a database name, it is relapact
3) Press T and then write something like "materia pend" (without quotes) and you will be able to reproduce the issue.

BTW, I'm using latest vDos version (vDos 2022.05.01).

Thank you!

[Jos]

Didn’t encounter a DOS program behaving this bizarre. For reference I had it run in Windows 32/NTVDM, but that was also completely off.

I was incorrect with my assumption it uses ANSI escape code sequences, though some leftovers are still in there.

It uses a strange mix of write to console API, Int 10h and direct writing to the video card memory.
Its interaction with the keyboard is also weird/ambiguous. It even gets weirder at switching languages, like a complete other program is running.

I suspect ISIS was once developed for CP/M and ported to MS-DOS 2.x (using ANSI escape code sequences).
Then over years given to several programmers, all doing partial modifications to get it somewhat more up to date. The end result is awful.

I only had a close look at the Spanish interface/program code. To let it work in vDos, add this line to config.txt:
FPUAWARE = 0

Also loose the STRICTMEM = ON. You probably found that searching for ANSI.SYS or display anomalies. It was just a last resort w/o knowing anything about a DOS program (no crystal ball).

Jos

[radait]

Hi Jos!

I fully agree with you that Micro CDS/ISIS is a strange piece of software. I switched to vDos because even DOSBox failed when running it.

Thank you so much for the solution you provided!