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From: aklee@bonsai.net (Albert K. Lee)
Subject: Re: Clear Screen
Date: 1997/03/25
Message-ID: <slrn5jeo8n.ku0.aklee@bonsai.net>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 228153761
References: <33357E74.B3D@unaalpha.una.edu>
Organization: The Bonsai Group
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-03-25T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


On Sun, 23 Mar 1997 13:03:16 -0600, Brian Hyatt <bhyatt@unaalpha.una.edu> wrote:
>Is there another way to clear the screen in Ada?  I know about:
> new_line(25) and put(ansi esc sequence).  I would use the ansi esc
>sequence but, what if the computer I execute my program on doesnt have
>an ansi driver loaded?    Thanks in advance

If you're on a UNIX system, there are Ada bindings (for GNAT, I
believe) included in the latest ncurses library (tho I haven't tried
them personally).

Since you mentioned "ansi driver," however, I imagine you're using
DOS.  Under DOS, the best way (IMHO) to manipulate the screen is by
direct BIOS calls and/or by manipulating the video memory.  I don't
know how to do systems-level programming (interrupts, etc.) with Ada,
but it is possible.  As a side note, you should abstract all that away
with a clean interface.

A bunch of us should band together to create a good DOS screen
manipulation package.  Ada needs a larger body of common tools for the
common programmer.  Graphics and screen manipulation, as well as file
handling, are several things that come to mind.  If these packages
(not bindings, but bona fide Ada packages) already exist, it would be
very nice to know where we can find them.  :)

Good luck!