Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!xenitec!geoffw
From: geoffw@xenitec.on.ca (Geoffrey Welsh)
Subject: Re: term caps
Reply-To: root@zswamp.fidonet.org (Geoffrey Welsh)
Organization: XeniTec Consulting Services, Kitchener, ON, Canada
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 90 21:47:09 GMT
Message-ID: <1990Sep14.214709.3428@xenitec.on.ca>
References: <90255.231731MLADAIR@MTUS5.BITNET>

In article <90255.231731MLADAIR@MTUS5.BITNET> MLADAIR@MTUS5.BITNET (PHANTOM) writes:
>I've been reading some stuff about term caps for mainframes.
>I understand a little about terminal emulation but I would like to
>know more.  Just how do you implement a term cap and does it take a
>special system to run them on.  Most things I have seen are for Unix-
>based systems.  Is there anyway I could write my own for a VM/CMS
>system.  I would like to try something besides the standard VT-100
>terminal emulator(s).  How would I go about doing this?

   "Termcap" is a Unix term, as far as I know, but there are equivalent
functions on most operating systems. I don't know if CMS offers such
a facility, though, as most CMS stuff I've used is locked into EBCDIC
and extensive 3270 functions.

   Anyway, the idea of a termcap or termio library is that the host
can be told what the appropriate control code is for any particular
function - or even if that function exists. It should, for instance,
be possible to define a Unix termcap that will give the proper
cursor movement sequences for a C64 in native mode. It would also
give the codes for clear screen, etc., and would reflect the fact
that the C64 has no cursor position command, no delete-to-end-of-line,
no scrolling regions, etc.

   If you're really interested in this, type "man termcap" next
time you're on a Unix system. However, I see very little use for
this, as Commodore native modes are much less powerful for terminal
operation than VT-102 or even VT-52 emulators.

   Geoff

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