MicroVMS Workstation Video Device Driver Manual

This manual provides technical information for experienced graphics and system programmers to develop applications that interact with the MicroVMS Workstation's video device drivers: QVSS (Q-Bus Video SubSystem) and QDSS (Q-Bus Device SubSystem).

The QVSS driver supports one-plane, black and white displays with direct bitmap manipulation, allowing for alternate windowing systems but requiring the application to manage occlusion. The QDSS driver, conversely, supports multiplane color and grayscale displays, utilizing hardware-assisted Drawing Operation Primitives (DOPs) for faster drawing and offering software support for occlusion management via viewports and deferred queues.

The document details how applications can interface with these drivers through QIOs (Queue I/O Operations), which include functions for initializing the screen, defining keyboard characteristics, managing pointer devices, and defining cursor patterns. For QDSS, it elaborates on specific QIOs for color control, viewport management (creating, defining regions, starting, deleting), and manipulating DOP queues. The manual also extensively covers the structure and implementation of Drawing Operation Primitives (DOPs) for various graphical operations like drawing lines, points, polygons, and text, as well as moving/rotating/scrolling display areas and handling bitmaps. Overall, it serves as both a tutorial and a reference guide for direct driver programming.