Full-screen input/output application program interface

Abstract

Abstract An application program interface for handling full-screen input/output (I/O) operations of a display device in an information handling system, such as a computer system running one or more application programs in conjunction with an operating system. The application program interface first determines characteristics of the display device in response to a request from an application program prior to performing a full-screen I/O operation, and provides these characteristics to the application program so that the application program can provide a buffer, and if an output is to be performed, construct a valid data stream for the display device. Then the application program interface builds a parameter list in response to a request from an application program to actually perform the full-screen I/O operation. Next, in response to the parameter list, the application program interface generates instructions to process the full-screen I/O operation and coordinate this request with other requests made by other application programs. The application program interface then passes the generated instructions to a control program of the information handling system to perform the desired full-screen I/O operation, and handles any status information resulting from the I/O operation. In this manner, the application program interface provides a means for allowing an application programmer to write an application program without being concerned with low level detail of a full-screen I/O operation, as well as providing a means for coordinating full-screen I/O use of a display device by several application programs in an information handling system, and a means for allowing an application program to be architecture independent with respect to full-screen I/O operation.

Inventors

• 👤 Christine T. Casey
• 👤 Stephen E. Record

Bibliographic Details