Keyboard Identification

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#5995

From: M. Tomlinson
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 1991 04:42

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How does PC software know which BIOS version you are using?
Specifically, for the keyboard BIOS call (number 16) there
are extra functions available for reading keyboard status,
and getting a key from the keyboard.  How do programs know`
whether these functions are available, or whether they should
stick with the ones originally provided on the PC/XT machines?

Presumably the BIOS date and machine id byte (at FFFF:FFFE) can
be used, but is there some other way?

(PS - don't just give me the best way - I want to know how
existing software does it.)

 - Mark Tomlinson

(tomlinson@elec.canterbury.ac.nz)

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!spool.mu.edu!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!waikato.ac.nz!canterbury!betelgeux!tomlin
From: tomlin@elec.canterbury.ac.nz (M. Tomlinson)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Keyboard Identification
Message-ID: <1991Apr29.164256.526@csc.canterbury.ac.nz>
Date: 29 Apr 91 04:42:55 GMT
Sender: tomlin@betelgeux (M. Tomlinson)
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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