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000138_news@columbia.edu_Tue Dec 19 14:52:05 1995.msg
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From: fdc@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Frank da Cruz)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Subject: Re: Unix WordPerfect and MSKerm3.14
Date: 19 Dec 1995 14:52:05 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
Lines: 52
Message-Id: <4b6jil$6l7@apakabar.cc.columbia.edu>
References: <95352.095758U54294@uicvm.uic.edu>
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In article <95352.095758U54294@uicvm.uic.edu>,
<U54294@uicvm.uic.edu> wrote:
> Following the instructions in KERMIT.BWR got my WordPerfect 5.1 on
> SCO SV386 3.2v4.1 running smoothly. BUT...can someone tell me why
> removing the VT320 reset from WordPerfect's terminal initialization
> string should keep MS-Kermit 3.14 from switching character-writing
> direction? (This was my symptom, anyway).
>
Our first attempt, circa 1990, at implementing a mechanism by which the
host could control the terminal emulator was the "TERMINALR/TERMINALS"
macros, which could be invoked by a high-numbered escape sequence we
thought would be safe:
ESC [ 34 h / l
Before choosing this sequence we not only researched the DEC technical
manuals, but also made numerous frustrating attempts to contact the
authority within DEC that was in charge of assigning new escape sequences
to ensure that DEC did not have any plans for this one, and request that
they reserve it for us. We were never able to locate the right people.
So, perhaps unwisely, we went forward with this feature, and the UNIX and
VMS WordPerfect used this feature heavily to dynamically switch key maps.
As luck (or Murphy's Law) would have it, DEC subsequently picked this same
sequence to control screen-writing direction in its Hebrew-model
terminals, and later this sequence found its way into many applications
that had nothing to do with Hebrew, as a standard part of the terminal
initialization. Soon, users of diverse VMS applications such as DECnotes,
All-In-1, etc, began to report that whenever they started up these
applications, strange things would happen: a file would begin to transfer,
their key map would change, etc. In fact, these were the actions defined
in their TERMINALR macros.
So we had to give up on the TERMINALS/TERMINALR mechanism in version 3.14
and adopted the far more flexible APC mechanism, and changed Kermit to
treat the former TERMINALS/R escape sequence as a screen-writing direction
changer. So now users of the "old" WordPerfect and the new Kermit were
in for a new surprise -- their screens would come out backwards!
In short, both Kermit and WordPerfect had to be changed to get around the
conflict between the two uses for the same escape sequence.
The tale is told in the KERMIT.BWR file for version 3.14, in the
Incompatibilities section, and the new APC mechanism is documented in the
KERMIT.UPD file, Section 10.
> Incidentally, for the umpteenth time, thanks to da Cruz,
> Gianone, Doupnik and the cast of thousands who made Kermit.
>
On behalf of all of us, you're very welcome!
- Frank