Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!usc!apple!portal!analog2!calvin!craig
From: craig@calvin.UUCP (Craig S. Cochran)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.elm
Subject: Re: Clearing the screen in elm
Keywords: elm
Message-ID: <488@calvin.UUCP>
Date: 9 Aug 90 17:57:15 GMT
References: <244@malathion> <1990Aug7.164242.11518@DSI.COM>
Reply-To: sun!valid!ccochran (Craig S. Cochran)
Organization: Valid Logic Systems - San Jose, CA.
Lines: 29

In article <1990Aug7.164242.11518@DSI.COM> syd@DSI.COM writes:
>
>Due to Elm's mini curses internal stuff, it doesn't know whats
>on the screen, so it cannot redraw it.  It can repaint the menu,
>or the list of messages, but that might not be what is on the screen.
>
>We had planned to go to a real curses a while back, but couldn't
>really get a portable set of curses routines working, so we punted it.
>(too many bugs in too many manf. curses packages).

Hmm.  It's unfortunate that this effort was scrubbed.  Using a
system-supplied curses would solve many problems, such as this
screen-clearing issue.

Might I suggest that we add a Configure option to use the system-supplied
curses and let the system administrator decide which works best?  This way,
if the system's curses are not bug-ridden, user's can get the full
functionality of curses.  If they do have problems with the
system-supplied curses, then they can Configure in Elm's mini-curses.

With this approach, there would be no additional support requirements
from the development group to work around system curses bugs.

-Craig

-- 
Craig S. Cochran                           Valid Logic Systems
Path:  {sun,decwrl}!valid!ccochran         2820 Orchard Parkway
Voice: 408/944-8037                        San Jose, CA  95134