Question for HP guys about screen updates...

[webmasterpdx]

Normally there are timer functions that get the time and battery value and update the screen accordingly.
However, when a program is running, these updates are disabled.
Im presuming this is done so that apps that take over the screen won't be interrupted by the power and time info.
However, you don't provide the time or battery value programatically. Is there a way to turn on the screen updates from the program so it continues to be updated while your app is running?
That is needed, as if you aren't using that part of the screen, the time and power remains frozen on the screen....which is technically an error....especially with the time.
Since running the program disables this and when the program exits, it's enabled again, there must be a call that disables/enables this....I'm asking if that call can be made accessible...or maybe it already is?
Thx
-Donald

[webmasterpdx]

Also, is the Time system variable updated when programs are run?

[webmasterpdx]

I tested it. There are 2 Time variables, one for Home and the other for CAS. These variables are updated while programs are running.

I'm curious about the battery value....or getting the system to update the screen with it.

Thx
-Donald

[StephenG1CMZ]

"when a program is running these updates are disabled"...

On Android, the battery charging status can change, although it requires a screen tap as described in this thread before the change is seen (though that might not have been with a program running).

http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-856...ht=Battery

I have checked the displayed header time whilst running a program, and it seems to sometimes update, and sometimes not.

[webmasterpdx]

If you are running a program it can't update, as your program could be drawing up there, and an update would write over your screen.
Obviously somewhere in the system software, when a program starts, it disables updating the screen. When the program stops, it re-enables updating the screen.
I just want to be able to enable it while a program is running...maybe by telling us the call to reenable it.

[StephenG1CMZ]

(10-26-2017 02:55 AM)webmasterpdx Wrote:  If you are running a program it can't update, as your program could be drawing up there, and an update would write over your screen.
Obviously somewhere in the system software, when a program starts, it disables updating the screen. When the program stops, it re-enables updating the screen.
I just want to be able to enable it while a program is running...maybe by telling us the call to reenable it.

Yes, that makes sense - though I did wonder whether the system might be clever enough to detect whether the specific part of the screen was being written to, rather than any graphics write.

I had seen the clock update whilst a program was running - but that was writing text to "Terminal", not drawing graphics.

In my graphics programs I'd always tried to keep the clock clear - If I'd known it wasn't being updated I'd have had a few more pixels to play with. For example, see
http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-5031.html.

Another useful feature would be to have some way of un-dimming the screen from a program.