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From: lasko@regent.dec.com (Tim Lasko, Digital Equipment Corp., Westford, MA)
Newsgroups: comp.std.misc
Subject: Re: ANSI X3.64 standard
Message-ID: <14784@shlump.nac.dec.com>
Date: 21 Aug 90 20:21:04 GMT
Sender: newsdaemon@shlump.nac.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 34


ANSI X3.64-1979 is still an accepted standard in the U.S.  There is a
corresponding ISO standard, ISO 6429:1989, which is more up-to-date and
contains more still control functions, although certainly not everything that
I've seen implemented in a video terminal or printer. (I don't know whether
there is a corresponding CSA standard number; my memory tells me no.)

[Copies of these standards are, of course, available from ANSI or the CSA, as
appropriate.]

ANSI technical committee X3L2, responsible for this area of standardization,
has discussed plans to withdraw X3.64 in favor of ISO 6429, rather than go
through the tedious and almost entirely superfluous process of updating X3.64. 
(If anyone has an opinion on this, I would be happy to receive them, as I sit
on X3L2.)

  ---

Digital VT-class video terminals conform to these standards, as do many other
terminal vendors worldwide; the usual marketing jargon indicates that the
terminal supports "ANSI" (or "VT100") commands.  

However, note that conformance to 'X3.64/'6429 only requires that control
functions be coded in a certain manner and behave in a certain way (and that
implementor-private control functions be coded in a certain way so as not to be
confused with standardized functions).  It does not require any specific set of
functions to be implemented.  (I call it a "catalog" standard.)  This means
that any two devices claiming conformance to the standard could in fact support
entirely different sets of control functions.  

  ---

Tim Lasko, Digital Equipment Corporation, Westford MA  (lasko@regent.dec.com)
     ]]] My opinions are my own; the facts can speak for themselves. [[[