Greenleaf Function Library

[C90562JM%WUVMD.BITNET at wiscvm.ARPA]

I have been using the Greenleaf Functions general library for

over 2 years and have in general been quite happy with it and have

recommended it to others as a reasonable general purpose library

for PC-DOS environments.  I now must modify that recommendation

as it appears that the vendor is unwilling to support the code

which they distribute.



In version 3 they added a sound function which is rather

rudamentary in nature (give it frequency and duration and it

produces the sound for that length of time and then returns).

Unfortunately their routine commits one of the cardinal sins

of programs, in that it leaves the machine in a different state

than it found it.  Specifically, it leaves the speaker port

enabled so that a subsequent program which does something

as simple as sounding the bell, the tone will continue until you

reboot the system.



Greenleaf supports a BBS and from looking on it, it was clear that

this had previously been reported, and in fact one user was offering

a fix to people who would send him a stamped, self addressed

envelope.  This fix was simply a small MASM routine to reset the

speaker port.  After a number of notes on the BBS, I finally had

a telephone conversation with Greenleaf.  They had never even sent

off for this fix!  I promised to send it to them.  I did send it

to them, along with a public domain c version of sound which left

the speaker enable bits as they were found.  This was over two

weeks ago and the greenleaf folks have neither acknowledged what

I sent them nor fixed the routine.



Since source is supplied with the Greenleaf Functions, I can fix

it for myself, but other potential buyers should be aware of the

apparent lack of support by Greenleaf for their library.