From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,118ba9ca5939b2d9 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2003-06-30 05:24:09 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!cyclone.bc.net!tdsnet-transit!newspeer.tds.net!news.binc.net!clubley From: clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP (Simon Clubley) Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada Terminal Emulator evaluation notes Date: 30 Jun 2003 07:24:03 -0500 Organization: Encompasserve Message-ID: References: <3c1f2fe3.0306291949.a7ef41f@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: eisner.encompasserve.org X-Trace: grandcanyon.binc.net 1056975829 13796 192.135.80.34 (30 Jun 2003 12:23:49 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@binc.net NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 12:23:49 +0000 (UTC) Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:39927 Date: 2003-06-30T07:24:03-05:00 List-Id: In article <3c1f2fe3.0306291949.a7ef41f@posting.google.com>, rossh@zip.com.au (Ross Higson) writes: > clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP (Simon Clubley) wrote in message news:... > [I will reply here for this message as I want to point something out to the newsgroup in the next paragraph. If you want to do any further followup in email then feel free to do so.] > My first reply to this doesn't seem to have appeared, so I'm trying > again - sorry if that means it appears twice. I'm answering this in > the newsgroup since Simon raises some good points, but (for future > adventurers, who I hope won't be put off by Simon's experience !) > direct email will normally get a faster response. > You seem a bit deflated that I have found a number of problems; don't be. :-) The display part of your emulator has survived a lot better under VMS than a number of more higher profile freeware emulators. VMS also has a reputation for finding problems in emulators that pass other tests. I also want to point out to the newsgroup that writing a 100% accurate DEC terminal emulator is actually a hard task and it does not surprise me in the slightest that using an emulator in a new environment will expose problems. > I'll try to make my Makefiles more robust. Do you by any chance also > have GTKAda installed ? This can really mess up GNU Make. Not just my > stuff - I also cannot build GWindows programs with GTKAda installed. > Do you think there might be some kind of conspiracy going on here ? :) > Yes, GtkAda is installed. > You have to set the emulation mode (e.g. to vt100). Use the option > "/mode" on the command line, such as "comms /port=3 /xin /xout > /mode=vt100" The emulation mode particularly affects the keyboard, as > described in Appendix A. The default emulation mode is PC, not VTxxx. > The advanced menu is enabled by the "/advanced" option. If you enable > this, you can change the emulation mode from within the program as > well. For example, use the command "comms /port=3 /xin /xout > /mode=vt100 /advanced". > I found the comms specific command options on the initial read, and looking at it again, I have now noticed the pointer to the other part of the manual containing the other options. You may need to highlight these other options further as I missed it on a quick read of the documentation. BTW, is there any reason why you don't just have all the menus enabled ? >> 6) Pressing Delete sends Backspace (8 decimal) instead of delete >> (127 decimal). Searching for "Delete" or "Backspace" in the manual did not >> turn up anything relevant. > > You can send ASCII.DEL by pressing CTRL+backspace (this is described > in appendix A.2 - I don't know why your search didn't find this). I > decided not to use the DEL key since it is used as part of the editing > keypad simulation (required in vt420 mode, also described in appendix > A). I agree this may be confusing, - I could make the DEL key work as > you expect in vt100 mode, but I would have to disable it again in > vt420 mode. One of the problems with the whole keypad emulation is > that the layout of the IBM keypad is so different to the DEC layout > that there doesn't seem to be an obvious mapping that suits all modes. > Ah, my DEC background is showing here as there's a terminology confusion here. When I talk about the Delete key, I am referring to the large key in the upper right hand of the main keyboard, which is marked Backspace on a PC keyboard, but which I have always known in recent times as the Delete key (on really old terminals, it was known as the Rubout key). On a DEC terminal, that key can be configured to send decimal 127 (Delete) or decimal 8 (Backspace). On VMS systems that key needs to send decimal 127. I found the Ctrl+Backspace reference BTW, which is what I ended up using. What I was looking for was a way to configure Backspace so that it sends Delete without having to use Ctrl. My suggested DEC to PC keyboard mapping if you are interested: Numeric keypad maps one to one with the DEC numeric keypad (including PF1 through PF4 on the top row of the numeric keypad), apart from the PC plus key, which is mapped to the DEC keypad comma. The DEC keypad minus is ignored. This choice about which key to drop is made because comma gives you "delete character" in a DEC editor. Editing keypad: Insert => Insert Here Delete => Remove Home => Find End => Select Page Up => Prev Screen Page Down => Next Screen Access the high numbered DEC function keys by using Ctrl. Ie: Ctrl+F6 gives you F16. > >> 9) Do you have any support for the bell ? VMS operations that normally ring >> the bell are silent. > > Yes, the emulator supports ASCII.BEL. There must be some other control > sequences that cause a bell on a real vt100. I'll fix them as I find > them. > It's just a normal ASCII.BEL. Are you sounding the PC's internal speaker like MS-Kermit does, or are you sending something out through the sound card, which may not have speakers attached to it ? > Also, I think Linux is well provided for in terminal emulation, whereas > Windows is not. At least, not with non-commercial solutions. > Try running some of those Linux emulators against VMS and see how long they last! :-) The only one that I tried that survived was xterm, and I had to use a DEC keyboard script with it. In fairness though, it is a year or two since I last evaluated most of these Linux emulators, so they may have improved since then. > > Yes, thanks. However, if you can find the time to go at least repeat > your tests with the emulation mode set to vt100 (which would solve a > few of the problems) I'd be particularly interested in any more > information you could give me on the reverse video problem. If you do > get time, perhaps you could run the program with the > "/displaycontrols" option enabled, and then save the entire virtual > buffer to a file and email it to me ?. > I will try and find some time over the next 2-3 weekends to redo some of the testing. No promises though. Simon. -- Simon Clubley, clubley@remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP VMS advocate: One who makes a Mac advocate look like a beginner at advocacy.