Lazy? You are not saying it seriously, aren't you?

What happens is that always there are other things that capture your mind, something to attempt, or fix, or even learn. The EnterMice is already done, not attractive enough  when there is so many knowledge to acquire.

Though I promised that I never want to write any advanced UI other than command line, monitor console/prompt, OSD, whatsoever ... Well things can change I guess nobody worries too much in this case, if I change my mind ...

http://xep128.lgb.hu/files/xep128-test.exe

In this version I tried to utilize native Win32 API file selector function. It means that with loading something with FILE: but with empty file name, an open dialog box will appear to allow to select a file to load. I mean:

LOAD"FILE:super.bas"

This still should load super.bas without any further interaction from the user (if file.bas can be found in the current FILEIO - host OS - directory of course ...).

However now, you can say this too:

LOAD"FILE:"

In this case, since filename part is empty, Xep128 (at least the test version only for now!) should display a native Windows open file dialog, and you can select what you want to load. Moreover, if you move to another directory, it should be remembered, ie then even the :XEP DIR etc should reflect the change that the new FILEIO host OS directory is the one you loaded program from at the last time. Honestly, the idea is from ep128emu But not the implementation of course (ep128emu uses its own widget set, not native win32 functions, I think). On Linux, GTK is used by the way.

Warning, this can be buggy: it seems there are issues (sometimes?) that window/GUI events "escapes" from native widgets to SDL events, ie selecting a file etc, and then Xep128 interprets some of the old interactions (ie key presses) by itself too, like "stucking enter key" if you used enter in the file dialog box, whatsoever. Or even entering into mouse grab mode, since the mouse click is detected by SDL/Xep128 later ... I think I will try some "SDL event queue emptying" solution after using non-SDL stuffs in Xep128. It seems GTK/Linux case is more affected by this than on Windows, by the way.

I plan to re-use file selector for various other things later, ie changing SD card image, also for FILE: save at some point (now it's not handled). If this native GUI elements thing seems to be OK, later it's even possible to present a GUI solution for the disassembly/memory dump etc stuffs (which exists already but only in console/monitor, and XEP: interface), so at some point it will be possible to use debugger like functionality in a graphical window. Who knows if I have willpower to do, especially in this way, with cross-platform GUI aware way, ie both on Linux and Windows. My tests on Windows version is done with the "wine" on Linux only as usual. So there can be issues I can't see this way

Attempting with LOAD "FILE:" to enter the Windows file handler, XEP128 returns this error: "*** Host OS No file selected", and does nothing.

The other FILE:, DIR and CD commands, all work.

Sorry for the possible silly question, but are you sure you used the test version whose URL I provided (not -entermice this time, but -test). It should provide an open file dialog window, however if you does not select a file there (ie: cancel, etc), then you will get that error, that's right. However if you choose a file, Xep128 should be able to load it then. If there were no file selection dialog box at all, something interesting happens (compared to my test with wine ...) or the other possibility that you tried another version of Xep128 not the one I mentioned But again, that's my bad, that I want to blame you at the first glance using the wrong exe, instead of myself to find the bug Sorry

I always feel amused about the great problematic stuffs when doing even the simpliest thing with Win32 API Even following MSDN descriptions closely (and at the end it turns out there are cases even Microsoft does not document to well. That's one reason I hate Windows ... not logical at all, not well documented, etc). Anyway

I tried to compile another version (put online with the mentioned URL for now), this should display a window about error code from dialog box. Hopefully at least that window is shown for you and we can see then what kind of numeric error code I have to deal with And thanks for your tests again!

Btw a thing what you can try though besides the basic problem (which I would like to know what kind of error code is shown): change FILEIO directory to C:\ or whatever (with :XEP CD) and try FILE: with empty file name again then, if it cause any difference ...

The little window shows:

"DEBUG: Windows CommDlgExtendedError: FFFFh"

And if I try on the root of C: it shows the same.

I have tried the former version on C: and it shows the same "*** Host OS No file selected" message.

FFFF phewww ... That's the general error code (CDERR_DIALOGFAILURE) that something is wrong but not specified what. Windows is really smart about error handling, I must say I would like to get another error code (there are bunch of them - with "nice" exact meaning, but really FFFF is the worst ...), but that's life. I never understand why people wants to use Windows, really (sorry, that's not an offensive thinking against you or anybody, just I am a bit sad ...) . But hey, at least I am not bored Ok, I guess I will "steal" my wife's notebook she has some old aged Windows XP at least

Hmm. Again like with console window, I am out of luck. It seems it's a windows incompatibility between windows versions (f**k Microsoft ...), since it works on XP, I've just tried - on wife's notebook (well, interesting, it was 15 minutes - !!!! - go the a usable desktop, the same for Ubuntu on the same machine is under 20 seconds) ... Wait, or do you use it with XP too? Then it's kinda interesting ...

Anyway, new version is put online. It seems one special case is mentioned by Microsoft "programming" documents (I would say "guessing documents" since it's full of "for example one reason" without mentioning ALL, which should be a must for a decent API documentation to tell all the error cases ...) with problem of parent window's handler, so I tried to use null value without parenting the dialog box to a the main window. I have no idea what it causes though ...

Meanwhile I've edited my previous post about a new version

Btw, I am still open to receive a gift, a decent application icon for Xep128 which can be used freely in Xep128, instead of my avatar, which is heh, little selfish and makes no sense, just I had no other idea 96*96 little stuff wanted