A windows DLL file allows access to a higher security level in the=20 system than programmers are currently accustomed to. Once upon a time a programmer was expected to get closer to the=20 hardware. That allowed one to "Hack" a fit between existing=20 hardware/software combinations and get functions out of the machine that=20 were not intended. Printers were precious and hard to come by.=20 Performance was lousy. I moved my Model 15 TTY from the TRS-80 to the PC=20 with little problems. Later I acquired a selectric console writer from a=20 big system in a similar fashon. It was no big deal, a lot of people were=20 doing stuff like that. Writing a program for making labels on whatever=20 printer could be done by just about every one. As we eased up into=20 Windows and multi tasking it was necessary that we give up that freedom=20 and follow the rules by MS and the Vendors. I don't want to lose multi=20 tasking, VM, secure systems etc. but I would like to regain at least=20 part of the old freedoms to innovate. I would like to have the freedom granted by Turbo 3 Pascal in today's=20 world. It just is not to be. If I ever get around to actually doing the DLL route, a Driver would=20 seem to be the next step. Not likely by me, too many unknowns. All you=20 have to do to get a DLL loaded is to ask nice. Power Basic appears to me to be current, full featured and well=20 documented. It has many generous Guru's that are quick to respond to=20 beginner's questions. I may change my mind later, but for now, that is=20 my take. I have Delphi 3, 5, and 7, Several varietys of Visual Basic and Visual=20 Studio. I expect I will embrace JAVA soon because my son gifted me with=20 an Android. The features I have found in popular vendors compilers usually are there=20 to keep you from getting closer to the hardware. All of todays compilers seem to generate bloated code. Any one who has bee around a while has some hardware they would like to=20 be able to use but there are no drivers available! If you had the=20 interface specs and an intentionally simple compiler you could roll your=20 own drivers with little effort. But then you would not need the latest=20 hardware & software.... K&R c, a preprocessor, documentation and a basic library would cure a=20 lot of evils! And that is why I am dreaming about .dll stuf... On 2/23/2012 3:54 PM, V G wrote: > On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 2:30 PM, John Ferrellwro= te: > >> I have a lot to learn about DLL's to be certain. >> From what I think I know so far: >> DLL can access hardware without interference from Windows. >> Windows can pass parameters to DLL's >> >> I am currently working (learning) in PowerBasic. >> The reason for that language is that the other popular high level >> languages are priced out of sight for full featured products. >> >> I don't know anything about a Gutnprint driver but I will google it. >> > By DLL, you're referring to Windows shared libraries, right? > > Why not just experiment with the free Visual Studio or MinGW? --=20 John Ferrell W8CCW Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. - Will Rogers --=20 http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .