🚀 go-pugleaf

The Problem

I  want  to  change the user interface of a CPU intensive application
running  under MS-DOS to support a mouse and display simple graphics.
I  am an experienced programmer but have little MS-DOS experience and
no  Windows  experience.  I am looking for advice on what tools would
make the job easier. 

I  prefer  to  use tools I already have so I don't have to go through
the  accounting  and  sign-off  process  but  I  can  spend money for
something  new  if  the  tool  is  worth it. I have to learn some new
development  package  but I don't want to learn a half dozen in order
to pick one. (I'm looking for the right FM to RT.)

	The Application

My application is a C program. It is CPU intensive with limited user
interaction. I can tolerate a 33% loss of efficiency to improve the
user interface. We are adding the ability to accept interrupts from
some  special  devices.  The  application  will  display  text  in a
scrolling  window  and  will sometimes ask the user to enter a small
string. 

We  have  moved the application from VAX/VMS to MS-DOS 5.0. I want to
add  about  20  virtual  lighted  buttons and detect mouse clicks and
function  keys  to  set  or  reset the 20 buttons. I need a small 1/4
screen area to display the buttons that will not get disturbed by the
application's scrolling text.

The Tools Available.

The application was written in Microsoft C version 7.0. We have the 
Windows  Development  Kit  and class libraries that come with version
7.0.  We  also have purchased a copy of C-Worthy. We have a shareware
package called the Window Boss for evaluation. We have LabWindows
available.

I have demo packages for Vermont Views, Panel Plus II, and HIM (Human
Interface  Manager).  I  have  read the articles in the September and
October  1991  issues  of  Computer Language magazine about Interface
Building tools and I am still uncertain about which tools to use.

I  am  presently  digging  into  the  documentation  for  the Windows
Development  Kit.  I hope for some guidence to shorten my search. Any
general  advice  for  a  first-time  Windows  developer would also be
appreciated.

Hopefully posted by Don J. Bailey of Honeywell Inc. (Minneapolis).