TweetFollow Us on Twitter

File Package
Volume Number:1
Issue Number:7
Column Tag:MacPascal

Standard File Package, unpack & copy the bits

By Alan Wootton

Here is a program to view MacPaint documents from MacPascal (like “showpage”). I use the File Manager, the Standard File Package, the toolbox procedure UnPackBits, and QuickDraw’s CopyBits to display the image loaded in memory.

In MacTutor #5, Gary Palmer asked about loading MacPaint files in MacPascal. Well, I remembered once running across a description of MacPaint docs by Bill Atkinson. After some digging, I found the description in part of a mailing from tech support to developers dated Dec. 1983.

Atkinson explains that the resource fork is not used and that a 512 byte header precedes the packed bitmap data. The header is an array of patterns and some empty space. To simply view the picture we can ignore the header. The MacPaint ‘page’ is 720 lines of 72 bytes each. This is almost 51K and since we wish to load this into memory, a FatMac will probably be required. Atkinson gives a short routine to decode the data into a page. He uses UnpackBits, which is on page 7 of ToolBox Utilities.

Reading the data was a problem. I tried to use the file I/O routines provided with MacPascal. One must either read data byte-at-a-time, which takes forever, or, if you read large blocks, you can never get the last partially filled block. At this point I decided that Real Programmers use the low level File Manager routines. In other words PBOpen, PBRead, and then PBClose.

Another MacPascal shortcoming is the GetOldFile function. Once again, Real Programmers go straight past the limitations of the language and consult the bible (Inside Mac). We shall use the Standard File Package.

The Standard File Package

MacPascal’s function GetOldName will only select files of type TEXT. To select MacPaint docs it will be necessary to call the Standard File Package directly (OldPaintName in following program). On page 30 of Packages in “Inside Macintosh”, the procedure SFGetFile is described. To call it, use trap $A9EA, which is Pack3, and be sure to push a 2, the ‘selector’, on the stack last. You must type in the SFReply record on page 25. [For a complete description of SFReply, see the Assembly Column in this issue.] Since our type list will just be one type (PNTG) it will not be necessary to declare an array. Pass nil for filefilter and dlghook. There is an argument to pass a prompt string that Inside Mac says is historical only. I find that it works fine.

Low Level File Manager

The filecall interface in the following program simulates the PB calls of the File Manager. This is an example of the OS call I presented in MacTutor #6. [Please refer to issue #6 for details on calling OS routines from Pascal.] Before you can use the the PB routines, you must type the lengthy Parameter Block declarations. There are four variant parts to this record. I have only used the ioParam part here because that is all that was needed in this example. You should type the whole thing and save it somewhere for later use. Note that 8 bit types do not come out right, so one must take care that the declaration has the correct length. The routine descriptions (starting on page 31 of the File Manager) give a nice list of those parameters that must be set before calling (assembly programmers note: in some places ioRefNum is listed as 22, but the correct number is 24). You should carefully check that each parameter is set correctly before calling. The exception is ioCompletion, which can be ignored since we will be making synchronous calls. If ioNamePtr is not nil then the File Manager assumes that its value is the address of a string. This could badly mess up memory. In MacPascal, declared variables are cleared to 0’s so you can get away with this, but later, when you compile, nasty bugs pop up (this actually happened to me).

UnPackBits

UnPackBits is actually very simple. I have complicated things by not reading all the data into memory at once. The scheme used is to read 1024 bytes into memory (skipping the header) and when the first 512 bytes are used I slide the upper 512 bytes down and add 512 bytes onto the end. The program unpacks 72 bytes at a time for 720 lines. For faster operation you can unpack 4 lines at a time. Change 720 to 180 and 72 to 288.

After the page array is filled, it would be nice to take a look at it. Copybits is used to move the image onto the drawing window. The nice thing about copybits is that it will scale the image to fit. Simply setup a Quickdraw Bitmap record for page, set destrect to the desired size, and call copybits as shown. If you change 144 to 576 and 180 to 720 you can see the painting full size.

To write a MacPaint document (not done in this program) it is necessary to know the format of the header. The header is a 4 byte version number (default = 2) and then 38*8 = 304 bytes of patterns and then 204 unused bytes for a total of 512. However, Atkinson’s example writes 512 zeros for a header so I guess that would work. To pack the data you use the reverse of the unpack procedure. Things can be made simpler though because you can use one destination buffer and then write it out after every PackBits.

It is my contention that everything in Inside Mac can be demonstrated and used from MacPascal (except things like Vertical Retrace routines). If there is anything that you have trouble with and would like to see in MacTutor, write a letter to MacTutor and I will see if there isn’t a way to do it.


program Read_MacPaint_doc;{by Alan Wootton 4/85}
           { This program reads a MacPaint file and shows            
        the picture 1/4 size in Drawing }
 uses
  Quickdraw2;
 type
  ptr = ^integer;
  OStype = longint;

  SFReply = record { this is used by the standard file               
                           package, see Packages }
    good : integer;
    ftype : OSType;
    vrefNum : integer;
    version : integer;
    fname : string[63];
   end;

{ Parameter Block information contained in File Manager 
chapter of Inside Macintosh.  Note that MacPascal won’t do 8 bit fields 
right }

  ParamBlkPtr = ^ParamBlockRec;
  ParamBlockRec = record
{ data structure of File Manager }
    qLink : Ptr;
    qType : integer;
    ioTrap : integer;
    ioCmdAddr : ptr;
    ioCompletion : ptr;
    ioResult : integer;
    ioNamePtr : ^str255;
    ioVrefNum : integer;
{  case ParamBlkType of  ...  ioParam:  }
    ioRefNum : integer;
{       ioVersNum : byte;  }
    ioPermssn : integer;{ byte }
    ioMisc : ptr;
    ioBuffer : ptr;
    ioReqCount : longint;
    ioActCount : longint;
    ioPosMode : integer;
    ioPosOffset : longint;
   end;

  diskBlock = packed array[0..511] of char;

  paintPage = array[0..35, 0..719] of integer;
{  576*720 bitmap  = 72 bytes * 720 lines =  51,840           bytes }




 var
  reply : SFReply;{ used by OldPaintName, declared here              
                   to access vRefNum }
  filename : str255;
  fileblock : ParamBlockRec;
  buff : array[0..1] of diskblock;{ 1K }

  Page : paintPage;{ Huge variable, almost 52K  }

  srcPnt : ^diskBlock;
  destPnt : ^paintPage;

  lines, err : integer;

  curport : Grafptr;
  pageBits : bitmap;
  destRect : Rect;


{ common OS trap code, could be done with ‘Generic’ call}
{see MacTutor Vol. 1 No. 6 for assembly source code}
 function filecall (Pb : ParamBlkPtr;
         trap : integer) : integer;
  var
   access : array[0..12] of integer;
   d0, a0 : longint;
 begin
  stuffHex(@access, ‘2848548C41FA000C309F245F265F20522013FFFF224826804ED4’);
  a0 := ord(pb);
  inlineP($4E75, @d0, @a0, trap, @access);
  filecall := loword(d0);
 end;

{ The following File Manager calls work just like   }
{ those described in Inside Macintosh for the Lisa Pascal Workshop.  
}
{ Except that the async parameter is a dummy; all calls are sync }

 function PBOpen (Pb : ParamBlkPtr;
         async : boolean) : integer;
 begin
  PBOpen := filecall(pb, $A000);
 end;

 function PBClose (Pb : ParamBlkPtr;
         async : boolean) : integer;
 begin
  PBClose := filecall(pb, $A001);
 end;

 function PBRead (Pb : ParamBlkPtr;
         async : boolean) : integer;
 begin
  PBRead := filecall(pb, $A002);
 end;


{  same as OldFileName, only for MacPaint docs }
 function OldPaintName (prompt : str255) : str255;
  var
   where : point;
   typelist : longint;
 begin
  reply.good := 0;
  typelist := $504E5447;{ ‘PNTG’ }
  setPT(where, 100, 100);
  inlineP($A9EA, where, @prompt, nil, 1, @typelist, nil, @reply, 2);
{ $A9EA is pack3 ,  2 is SFGetFile, see Packages  }
  if reply.good <> 0 then
   OldPaintName := reply.Fname
  else
   OldPaintName := ‘’;
 end;


{  This procedure moves buff[1] down onto buff[0], adjusts srcPnt to 
point at it’s same data and tacks more data on end in buff[1].     }
 procedure Refill_Buffer;
 begin
  blockmove(@buff[1], @buff[0], 512);
  srcPnt := pointer(ord(srcPnt) - 512);
  fileBlock.ioBuffer := @buff[1];
  fileBlock.ioReqCount := 512;
  fileBlock.ioPosMode := 0;
  err := PBRead(@fileBlock, false);{ fill buff[1] }
 end;


begin { main }
 ShowDrawing;
 fileName := OldPaintName(‘ Select Painting to examine’);
 while filename <> ‘’ do
  begin
   fileBlock.ioVrefNum := reply.vrefnum;
   fileBlock.ioNamePtr := @fileName;
   fileBlock.ioPermssn := 1;{ read only, version number              
                                   is in upper byte and is 0 }
   fileBlock.ioMisc := nil;
   if PBOpen(@fileBlock, false) = 0 then
    begin
     refill_buffer;{  first block is skipped }
     refill_buffer;{   fill 1 }
     refill_buffer;{ 1 onto 0, refill 1 }

     srcPnt := @buff[0];{ <-- pointer to start of data }
     destPnt := @Page;{ <----  pointer to Page bitmap }

{------> This is the part that actually decodes the packed MacPaint data 
<------}
{ $A8D0 is UnPackBits, see page 7 in Toolbox Utilities   }
{ srcPnt and destPnt are updated by UnPackBits so use @}
     for lines := 1 to 720 do{ 720 lines in paint doc }
      begin
       inlineP($A8D0, @srcPnt, @destPnt, 72);
                                     { UnPackBits for 72 bytes }
       if ord(srcpnt) >= ord(@buff[1]) then
        Refill_Buffer; { if src no longer in buff[0] }
      end;{ of 720 lines }

     if PBClose(@fileBlock, false) <> 0 then
      writeln(‘close error’);

{  now show drawing  in current port  (drawing window) }
     GetPort(curPort);

 
{  set up bitmap record }
    pagebits.baseaddr := pointer(ord(@page));
    pagebits.rowbytes := 72;
    setRect(pagebits.bounds, 0, 0, 576, 720);

     setRect(destRect, 0, 0, 144, 180);
{ 144,180 =1/4 normal, image will be squashed to fit }

     copyBits(pagebits, curport^.portbits, pagebits.bounds,          
           destRect, srcCopy, nil);
     moveto(4, 190);
     drawstring(‘Click to open another MacPainting’);
     repeat
     until button;

    end;{ if no Open error }
   fileName := OldPaintName(‘ Select another Painting ?’);
  end;{ if name<>’’ loop }
end.
 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Six fantastic ways to spend National Vid...
As if anyone needed an excuse to play games today, I am about to give you one: it is National Video Games Day. A day for us to play games, like we no doubt do every day. Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, feast your eyes on this... | Read more »
Old School RuneScape players turn out in...
The sheer leap in technological advancements in our lifetime has been mind-blowing. We went from Commodore 64s to VR glasses in what feels like a heartbeat, but more importantly, the internet. It can be a dark mess, but it also brought hundreds of... | Read more »
Today's Best Mobile Game Discounts...
Every day, we pick out a curated list of the best mobile discounts on the App Store and post them here. This list won't be comprehensive, but it every game on it is recommended. Feel free to check out the coverage we did on them in the links below... | Read more »
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's...
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Nintendo has been locked in an epic battle with Pocketpair, creator of the obvious Pokémon rip-off Palworld. Nintendo often resorts to legal retaliation at the drop of a hat, but it seems this... | Read more »
Apple exclusive mobile games don’t make...
If you are a gamer on phones, no doubt you have been as distressed as I am on one huge sticking point: exclusivity. For years, Xbox and PlayStation have done battle, and before this was the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo NES. On console, it makes... | Read more »
Regionally exclusive events make no sens...
Last week, over on our sister site AppSpy, I babbled excitedly about the Pokémon GO Safari Days event. You can get nine Eevees with an explorer hat per day. Or, can you? Specifically, you, reader. Do you have the time or funds to possibly fly for... | Read more »
As Jon Bellamy defends his choice to can...
Back in March, Jagex announced the appointment of a new CEO, Jon Bellamy. Mr Bellamy then decided to almost immediately paint a huge target on his back by cancelling the Runescapes Pride event. This led to widespread condemnation about his perceived... | Read more »
Marvel Contest of Champions adds two mor...
When I saw the latest two Marvel Contest of Champions characters, I scoffed. Mr Knight and Silver Samurai, thought I, they are running out of good choices. Then I realised no, I was being far too cynical. This is one of the things that games do best... | Read more »
Grass is green, and water is wet: Pokémo...
It must be a day that ends in Y, because Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has kicked off its Zoroark Drop Event. Here you can get a promo version of another card, and look forward to the next Wonder Pick Event and the next Mass Outbreak that will be... | Read more »
Enter the Gungeon review
It took me a minute to get around to reviewing this game for a couple of very good reasons. The first is that Enter the Gungeon's style of roguelike bullet-hell action is teetering on the edge of being straight-up malicious, which made getting... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Take $150 off every Apple 11-inch M3 iPad Air
Amazon is offering a $150 discount on 11-inch M3 WiFi iPad Airs right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 128GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $449, $150 off – 11″ 256GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $549, $150 off – 11″ 512GB M3... Read more
Apple iPad minis back on sale for $100 off MS...
Amazon is offering $100 discounts (up to 20% off) on Apple’s newest 2024 WiFi iPad minis, each with free shipping. These are the lowest prices available for new minis among the Apple retailers we... Read more
Apple’s 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros are on sa...
Amazon has 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $410 off Apple’s MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party... Read more
Red Pocket Mobile is offering a $150 rebate o...
Red Pocket Mobile has new Apple iPhone 17’s on sale for $150 off MSRP when you switch and open up a new line of service. Red Pocket Mobile is a nationwide MVNO using all the major wireless carrier... Read more
Switch to Verizon, and get any iPhone 16 for...
With yesterday’s introduction of the new iPhone 17 models, Verizon responded by running “on us” promos across much of the iPhone 16 lineup: iPhone 16 and 16 Plus show as $0/mo for 36 months with bill... Read more
Here is a summary of the new features in Appl...
Apple’s September 2025 event introduced major updates across its most popular product lines, focusing on health, performance, and design breakthroughs. The AirPods Pro 3 now feature best-in-class... Read more
Apple’s Smartphone Lineup Could Use A Touch o...
COMMENTARY – Whatever happened to the old adage, “less is more”? Apple’s smartphone lineup. — which is due for its annual refresh either this month or next (possibly at an Apple Event on September 9... Read more
Take $50 off every 11th-generation A16 WiFi i...
Amazon has Apple’s 11th-generation A16 WiFi iPads in stock on sale for $50 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 11th-generation 128GB WiFi iPads: $299 $50 off MSRP – 11″ 11th-generation 256GB... Read more
Sunday Sale: 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros for up t...
Don’t pay full price! Amazon has Apple’s 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $220 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather... Read more
Mac mini with M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $12...
B&H Photo has Apple’s Mac mini with the M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $1259, $140 off MSRP. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: – Mac mini M4 Pro CPU (24GB/512GB): $1259, $... Read more

Jobs Board

All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.