Is there any way to increase string space?

[sandmann999]

Hey everyone. The program I'm writing uses string space like crazy. It's a tile based RPG and the fastest way that I've found to draw the tiles is to put all the tiles of one area into a string array and then DRAW them. Each string for each tile can be 2000 - 5000 bytes in length and when there's 20 or so of these for each map area, it chews up string space pretty quick.
I'd like to add more tiles to each area, mainly for variety, but I'm out of string space. Is there any way to increase how much space I can use?


I've also tried having the program access each tile file individually and load it from the file the moment it draws it. It works just the same (and doesn't take any memory) but the time it takes to load from a file slows down the program and makes screen scrolling sluggish. I've also just tried putting each tile into a GET and PUT type array, in which they would take up much less space than how I have them now, (each tile is a 20x20 pixel), but the problem is it's a smooth scrolling map, so as a tile moves off screen, eventually there will be an error when the program tries to PUT only half of a tile.

(If anyone knows how to PUT graphics out of the view screen area, that would be great too.)

Thanks!

 

[dilettante]

I thought VBDOS had a way to increase String memory, but I seem to be "out of memory" myself regarding the old DOS Basics.

 

[Freestone]

It appears as if the only real option is to ensure your string arrays exist in the far heap. This article, though addressing the near heap, has a pointer or two concerning the far heap.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/101880

 

[sandmann999]

Thanks for the info. It looks as if I'll have to go about it a different way and rethink my methods. I'm putting all my tile information saved into DRAW commands and the long strings of information for each tile are stored into strings, which is chewing up the space pretty fast.