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The pages on this site contain documentation for very old MS-DOS software, purely for historical purposes. If you're looking for up-to-date documentation, particularly for programming, you should not rely on the information found here, as it will be woefully out of date.

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A grabber provides a set of standard functions that initialize the display
and save and restore the video context.
 
The InquireGrab function returns the size of the grabber buffer, which holds
screen data when copying data to the clipboard. This function also carries
out extended functions, depending on the value Windows passes to it in the
AX register. The InquireSave function returns the size of the save buffer,
the buffer used to hold the screen contents and video context when Windows
switches away from the non-Windows application. Either InquireGrab or
InquireSave (whichever Windows calls first) is responsible for initializing
the grabber the first time the function is called.
 
The SaveScreen and RestoreScreen functions save and restore the video
context needed to support switching away and back to the non-Windows
application. Windows supplies the buffer to receive or contain the data; the
functions are responsible for copying the data to or from the display
device.
 
The optional InitScreen function initializes the display to a text mode (one
that Windows supports). Windows calls this function before the non-Windows
application starts and when Windows switches away from the application.
 
A display grabber also includes several extended functions. Windows calls
the extended functions by supplying an extended-function number in the AX
register when it calls the InquireGrab function.
 
The GetVersion function (0FFFAh) returns the version number of the grabber,
and the GetInfo function (0FFFEh) returns information about the grabber and
screen. The EnableSave and DisableSave functions (0FFFCh and 0FFFBh) enable
and disable video-context switching. Using these functions allow a grabber
to install or remove hooks needed to support video-context switching. The
SetSwapDrive function (0FFFDh) sets the current swap drive and path that the
grabber can use to create swap files during a context switch. The GetBlock
function (0FFF8h) copies a block of screen data to a specified buffer.
 
Windows calls grabber functions in real mode, not in protected mode. This
means the grabber can carry out its work using the same techniques as MS-DOS
programs or drivers.
 
 
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