TSE: Microsoft: Windows: Error: 'Menu too large - needed R rows C columns': Solution: Scroll menu: Demonstration version compiled in Borland C++ command line compiler version 5.5
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knud van eeden
Jan 12, 2026, 7:22:35 PMJan 12
to SemWare TSE Pro Text Editor
TSE: Microsoft: Windows: Error: 'Menu too large - needed R rows C columns': Solution: Scroll menu: Demonstration version compiled in Borland C++ command line compiler version 5.5
Hello,
FYIO:
===
[Claude]
For demonstration purposes created a working menu
program compiled successful with Borland C++ version 5.5.1
Compile with (here bcc is an alias)
bcc scrollmenu_demo.c
It has large menu options (100++).
It runs in tcc.exe but there the mouse is intercepted.
For mouse functionality you should run it in cmd.exe or wt.exe
E.g.
start cmd.exe /c scrollmenu_demo.exe
or
start wt.exe <full path to scrollmenu_demo.exe>
===
see attachment: scrollmenu_demo.c
===
cmd.exe
wt.exe
with friendly greetings
Knud van Eeden
knud van eeden
Jan 12, 2026, 7:34:00 PMJan 12
to SemWare TSE Pro Text Editor, S.E. Mitchell
TSE: Linux: WSL: Error: 'Menu too large - needed R rows C columns': Solution: Scroll menu: Demonstration version compiled with Open WatCom version 2.x
Hello,
FYIO:
See attached program: scrollmenu_linux.c
(version 3.17)
===
About the mouse:
Note: What is special in this TSE for Linux program is
that in this Linux WSL demonstration version the mouse is fully functional
(e.g. implemented here <WheelUp>, <WheelDown>, <LeftBtn>)
Inside the program both mouse escape code conventions are implemented:
1. Parsing an 'SGR' mouse
2. Parsing an 'X10' mouse
This successful mouse escape code parsing idea could maybe extrapolated to TSE for Linux also.
===
The demonstration program:
1. First [Claude], but took too long with too many issues.
2. Then copied the current Claude program to [ChatGPT]
who successfully solved it after some back and forth
changes.
For demonstration purposes created a working menu
program compiled successful with Open WatCom version 2.x
It has large menu options (30++).
It runs in tcc.exe but there the mouse is intercepted.
For mouse functionality you should run it in cmd.exe or wt.exe
===
Q. TSE: Watcom: How to compile?
Steps: Overview:
1. -Make sure to have Linux WSL Ubuntu installed
2. -Run JPSoft tcc.exe
(but in tcc.exe most of the mouse will not work as tcc.exe intercepts it)
or
start cmd.exe
(here the mouse works)
or
start wt.exe
3. Optionally load the WatCom C program in TSE and save it to a fixed place
E.g.
C:\TEMP\tse_linux\scrollmenu_linux.c
4. Run
wsl
5. Change to typically the tmp directory
cd /tmp
6. Copy the saved TSE file to the tmp directory
cp /mnt/c/temp/tse_linux/scrollmenu_linux.c .
7. Check if the C file (and e.g. version if any) are indeed copied and present
head ./scrollmenu_linux.c
8. Compile the C program using Open WatCom
wcl386 scrollmenu_linux.c
9. Run the compiled program
./scrollmenu_linux
10. That will show a screen output similar to the following:
--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------
knud_@DESKTOP-R2VMOBB:/tmp$ cp /mnt/c/temp/tse_linux/scrollmenu_linux.c .
knud_@DESKTOP-R2VMOBB:/tmp$ head ./scrollmenu_linux.c
/*
* Program: scrollmenu_linux.c
*
* Scrollable TSE-Style Menu Demo - Linux / WSL
* Open Watcom C 2.x compatible (32-bit)
*
* Version 3.16 - January 2026
* - FIX: Mouse click selection screen no longer disappears instantly
* Cause: mouse release / extra mouse bytes were already queued and
* immediately satisfied the "Press any key" wait.
knud_@DESKTOP-R2VMOBB:/tmp$ wcl386 scrollmenu_linux.c
Open Watcom C/C++ x86 32-bit Compile and Link Utility
Version 2.0 beta Jan 11 2026 18:10:06 (32-bit)
Copyright (c) 2002-2026 The Open Watcom Contributors. All Rights Reserved.
Portions Copyright (c) 1988-2002 Sybase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source code is available under the Sybase Open Watcom Public License.
See https://github.com/open-watcom/open-watcom-v2#readme for details.
wcc386 scrollmenu_linux.c
Open Watcom C x86 32-bit Optimizing Compiler
Version 2.0 beta Jan 11 2026 18:04:34 (32-bit)
Copyright (c) 2002-2026 The Open Watcom Contributors. All Rights Reserved.
Portions Copyright (c) 1984-2002 Sybase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source code is available under the Sybase Open Watcom Public License.
See https://github.com/open-watcom/open-watcom-v2#readme for details.
scrollmenu_linux.c: 596 lines, included 1449, 0 warnings, 0 errors
Code size: 2844
wlink @__wcl_00.lnk
Open Watcom Linker Version 2.0 beta Jan 11 2026 18:01:34 (32-bit)
Copyright (c) 2002-2026 The Open Watcom Contributors. All Rights Reserved.
Portions Copyright (c) 1985-2002 Sybase, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source code is available under the Sybase Open Watcom Public License.
See https://github.com/open-watcom/open-watcom-v2#readme for details.
loading object files
searching libraries
creating a Linux x86 executable
knud_@DESKTOP-R2VMOBB:/tmp$
--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------
11. Run the program
--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------
./scrollmenu_linux
--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------
12. That will show a screen output similar to the following:
--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------
scrollmenu_linux.c v3.15 (January 2026)
1. File Menu
2. Edit Menu
3. Help Menu
0. Exit
Last key: (none)
Select a menu (0-3):
(Typing is invisible - raw mode)
--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------
===
--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------
[File Menu]
> 1. File option
2. File option
3. File option
4. File option
5. File option
6. File option
7. File option
8. File option
9. File option
10. File option
11. File option
12. File option
Up/Down or Wheel PgUp/PgDn Ctrl+PgUp:first Ctrl+PgDn:last Home/End Enter/Click Esc
Option 1 of 30
--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------
===
--- cut here: begin --------------------------------------------------
Selection made
Menu: File Menu
Selected: 6. File option
Press any key to continue...
--- cut here: end ----------------------------------------------------
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