Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!iconsys!caeco!i-core!geo-works!bryan
From: bryan@geo-works.UUCP (Bryan Ford)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Dupping FileHandles && Run
Message-ID: <0997.AA0997@geo-works>
Date: 18 Jun 89 23:04:31 GMT
References: <8906122232.AA02030@hermes.Berkeley.EDU>
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Lines: 37

>:  I know that AmigaDOS doesn't support the duplication of FileHandles
>:(which makes it rather difficult to pass a FileHandle to another process)

[etc etc]

>	I agree that we need a *real* Dup() call.
>
>					-Matt

We already have one.  Well, sort of.  I think.  :-) :-)

In TransAmi V2 I2, page 36 (in the article about file systems), there are
five new ACTION types listed, which are used by Bill Hawes' ConMan.  They
all provide much needed functions.  I can't find a good description for
ACTION_DOUBLE (2000) anywhere, but from the inadequate description in
TransAmi it looks like just what we need.

There's also stuff to allow programs to put stuff on the input stream, as
if it was typed in from the keyboard.  Very useful for scripts.

Unfortunately, this stuff is not standard (at least not yet), and will only
work with ConMan.  However, I would recommend to C-A that these packets be
made standard and supported in future versions of the Amiga's console
handler.  Also, I'd like to see a packet type to find the number of
characters waiting in the input buffer, and one to wait until at least one
character is available and don't wait for more after that, but if more
characters are available, stick them in too.  In other words, "read at
least 1 character".

				Bryan

--

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