GSETEXCL()
 Define a screen region to be excluded from display
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Syntax

     GSETEXCL([<nExclArea>]|[<nTop>, <nLeft>, <nBottom>,
        <nRight>, <nType>]) --> NIL

 Arguments

     <nExclArea> is a numeric value representing the exclusion area number.

     <nTop>, <nLeft>, <nBottom>, <nRight>, and <nType>
     define the exclusion area coordinates.

     Coordinate Type Constants
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Constant          Description
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LLM_COOR_TEXT     <nTop> which is the default, is the row line number.
     LLM_COOR_GRAPH    <nTop> is the row in pixels.
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Note:  Either zero, <nExclArea>, or all other parameters should be
     specified.

 Returns

     If <nExclArea> is specified, an array of exclusion area coordinates for
     <nExclArea> is returned.  GSETEXCL(LLG_EXCL_KILL_ALL) deletes all
     previously defined exclusion areas.  If no arguments are specified,
     GSETEXCL() returns the number of active exclusion areas.  If <nTop>,
     <nLeft>, <nBottom>, <nRight>,and <nType> are specified, NIL is returned.

 Description

     This function is used to prevent output from being displayed in a
     defined region of the screen.  The GSETEXCL() function is probably the
     most complex function in CA-Clipper graphic mode.  If you have never
     used the DISPBEGIN() and DISPEND() functions, please read CA-Clipper's
     documentation for further explanation of these two functions.
     Essentially, these functions are used to trap or "buffer" all screen
     output.  DISPBEGIN() initiates the buffering and DISPEND() stops the
     buffering and updates the screen.

     GSETEXCL() is the opposite of GSETCLIP().  GSETEXCL() and GSETCLIP()
     must never be used at the same time.  A call to GSETCLIP() will destroy
     all previously defined exclusion areas.  CA-Clipper internally maintains
     exclusion areas as if they were multiple inclusion areas.

     To understand GSETEXCL(), imagine a cascading window system with three
     windows, A, B and C:







     Our goal is to display information in window A while it is covered by
     windows B and C.

     .  Old text mode technique:    Using CA-Clipper in text mode and
        assuming you saved each window region prior to painting the window
        boxes, you would probably do the following:

        1.  Issue a DISPBEGIN() to activate video buffering.

        2.  Pop off each screen by individually saving the current screens
           and immediately restoring that window's previous background,
           starting with window C, and then doing window B.  For example,

           cNewScrC := SAVESCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight)
           RESTSCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight,cOldScrC)
           cNewScrB := SAVESCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight)
           RESTSCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight,cOldScrB)

        3.   At this point, window A is the only window visible and it is
           easy to manipulate or paint information in window A.

        4.   You would then save and redisplay window B and C, for example,

           cOldScrC := SAVESCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight)
           RESTSCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight,cNewScrC)
           cOldScrB := SAVESCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight)
           RESTSCREEN(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight,cNewScrB)

        5.   Issue a DISPEND() because up to now the user has not seen any
           screen activity since every screen output function has been
           buffered!

           By issuing a DISPEND(), ALL of the buffered data is instantly
           flushed to the screen.  Essentially the user sees only the final
           screen and not the intermediate screen activity along the way.
           The user is not aware of the displaying and redisplaying of
           windows B and C.  This provides a smooth visual effect.  This
           buffering method is available in text mode because display orders
           are fast, simple and the memory needed to save a full screen is
           small (4KB).

     .  New graphic mode technique:  The situation is totally
        different in graphic mode.  DISPBEGIN() and DISPEND() are not enabled
        in CA-Clipper graphic mode. CA-Clipper uses exclusion areas instead
        of removing windows until we have the desired window current.  This
        exclusion area concept is used in almost every graphical system,
        including Microsoft Windows.  An exclusion area is simply a defined
        screen region which is prevented from having data written to it.

        In the example above, you would declare windows B and C as exclusion
        areas. This prevents data from being written to these windows.
        Therefore, when you modify information in window A, windows B and C
        are not affected.  The above example using exclusion areas would be
        as follows:

        GSETEXCL(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight) // Window B coordinates
        GSETEXCL(nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight) // Window C coordinates
        // Manipulate or paint information in window A.
        GSETEXCL (LLG_EXCL_KILL_ALL)

 Notes

     You must reset the exclusion areas once the screen work is completed;
     otherwise, the exclusion areas remain active.  This essentially prevents
     any data from ever being written to those screen regions.  As you can
     see, DISPBEGIN() and DISPEND() require a lot of work to manage a simple
     cascade of windows, and the overhead in graphic mode renders the
     technique unusable.  Exclusion zones do not consume memory, are faster,
     and are simpler to use.

 Files   Library is LLIBG.LIB, header file is Llibg.ch.