Any sugestions for this setup? (MaxGui)

I want to make some kind of "life-emulation", where generations of "Pixel-beings" can procreate the next.
So I want the program to be able to run in the "background", while the user can do something else.
I have cut and pasted something of a start, but is this a good way to do something like this?
Any suggestions of improvements or alternatives will be greatly apreciated. :)

The code so far:

SuperStrict

Global TankWidth:Int=255,TankHeight:Int=255
Global CanvasWidth:Int=400, CanvasHeight:Int=300
Global ButtonHeight:Int=32, BorderSize:Int=16 

Global EWindow:TGadget=CreateWindow("Evolution", 100,100,CanvasWidth+2*BorderSize,CanvasHeight+ButtonHeight+2*BorderSize)
Global ECanvas:TGadget=CreateCanvas(BorderSize,BorderSize,CanvasWidth,CanvasHeight,EWindow)

Global x:Int=0
Global y:Int=0
Global t:Int,u:Int
ActivateGadget ECanvas

Repeat
  WaitEvent()
  Select EventID()
  Case EVENT_WINDOWCLOSE
     End
  Case EVENT_MOUSEENTER
     HideMouse
 Case EVENT_MOUSELEAVE
     ShowMouse
  Case EVENT_MOUSEMOVE
     x=EventX()
     y=EventY()
  Case EVENT_GADGETPAINT
   End Select

    SetGraphics CanvasGraphics (ECanvas)
    Cls
    For t=0 To Tankwidth-1
		For u=0 To TankHeight-1
			SetColor (Rnd(0,255),Rnd(0,255),Rnd(0,255))
			Plot t,u
		Next
	Next		
	DrawRect  x,y,40,40
    Flip
     RedrawGadget(ECanvas)

Forever

(Of course it also need some buttons and other kind of control.)

Get rid of the globals, and especially globals like x, y, t etc. Those are typically used for local loops and such.
Make a TLifeemulation type, hide them there, don't put all these things as globals in your app or it'll seriously limit your app after a few hours/days. (depending on your code-speed)

Furthermore, not really a bug orso, but be aware that your Redrawgadget(ECanvas) could 've been without the ( ).

blah=Bla(a,b,c)

Bla a,b,c

see the difference?

The first one requires ( ) because Bla is a function returning a value. The second one doesn't return anything, so doesn't need ( ). Your code will function with them however.. it's more a matter of style..

@CS_TBL:
Thanks; One picks up some habits in ones Programminglife :)
I use those globals that "lazy" way when I'm testing stuff and don't want to declare them every time I write a temporary function. pfft :)

In the mean time the little program as seen above has progressed some and instead of being random, the pixelbeings are moving around on their own. (there is a lot of them)
Now I encounter some strange "hickups". The movement stops and then start again, and I cant figure out why.
I have tried to place the drawing stuff under the case EVENT_GADGETPAINT, but thas didn't help.
Can it be the way I use RedrawGadget ECanvas?
Is it WindowsXP?
Is it my PC?
Or is it Me?

Can't say without seeing it.

How are you handling your Canvas redraw?

You might prefer to use a Timer, rather than call redraw after the flip, otherwise the frame update will more likely be subject to skipping etc.

Have a look at the CreateCanvas example in the docs.
It uses a timer which generates an EVENT_TIMERTICK event per "tick" :

CreateTimer 60

you could then have this in your select...

    Case EVENT_TIMERTICK
        RedrawGadget ECanvas

Might make it run a bit smoother?