A-Shell/Windows is a native WIN32 (not a ‘console’) application, installed with a typical Windows-style installer, that runs on all existing 32 and 64 bit Windows versions from XP forward. The main A-Shell window provides a traditional fixed-pitch ‘terminal’ environment, visually similar to a Windows-based terminal emulator. As you resize the window, it adjusts the grid and font size according to the configured number of rows and columns, in general providing the screen environment expected by AlphaBASIC plain text applications. It also provides a full set of GUI capabilities ranging from “hot spots” to the dynamic creation of dialogs based on standard and extended Windows GUI controls, all of which can coexist with traditional plain text applications (or even within the same programs). The ability to launch and otherwise access a variety
of Windows services (browser, email, Explorer, Word, Excel, etc.) is also supported, as is running as a CGI-based web service, regardless of whether the application is otherwise GUI-oriented.
There are two flavors of A-Shell available for Windows: the standard version and the “C” version. They are functionally interchangeable, differing mainly in the underlying file I/O implementation and performance profile. See the Special “C” Version for details. Either flavor can be used in P2P/LAN network workgroup environments, in server-control domains using RDP/Citrix/et. al. for client access, and/or as a telnet server (in conjunction with our ATSD module) supporting local or remote connections from ATE or other terminal emulator clients.)