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From: Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Review Modes
Message-ID: <18546@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 10 Apr 91 17:43:12 GMT
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[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Here are some examples where I can compare ARtic "halt review," with
Ibm(s) "pointer," mode.
     When using a 3278 terminal emulator on the IBM mainframe at work,
there is a job input, output, and hold reviewing system, it looks like
this:
              ispf     held      output listing 18000 lines
     ====>
     id#     job#     class     lns     prt     etc.
     xh230   2048     x         2050
     xhp78   2052     x         8590
------------------------------------------------------------

     So:  your cursor is on the line with the ====> and if you hit
return your screen is updated.  Of course this is all direct screen
writes, so no easy way out.  With the halted review mode, you are in
trouble, although with the use of tags, you can make ARtic do a
non-intrusive review mode.
     Basically you want to do several things with this screen, hit
return, look for your job status changes, such as if lines printed went
down, and so on, but you don't want to go into review, find the line,
and then read it, with a nonintrusive, you can leave your pointer mode
on the line, and just read after a return each time, or even make the
program watch the line you define.
     Anyway, another example:
     With Telix, or Procomm, and ARtic, I have noticed a easy way to
mess up a file transfer with zmodem, just go into review, and for that
matter, you can even mess it up by just hitting the review-line key too
many times.  It doesn't seem to interrupt very well, and neither did the
SoftVert test I tried.
     I am not trying to be critical just making observations.
     OK, next example of where pointer modes are OK, is the dir example
you gave.
     dir *.xxx (whatever you please /p will pause the screen with no
mess, no fuss.  You can then wonder around in pointer mode to your
hearts desire, and, stay at the top if you like and hit a key to
continue--and then read the next screen from top to bottom.  Sort of
like, you dir/p then read up, hit a key, and read down ...
     I have a setup for artic with a key macro program using tags that
lets me use alt y and alt t, to move up and down, reading, in a
non-intrusive review mode.  Basically you just set a tag, and read it,
then when the next loop or time through, tag = tag + or - 1 depending on
the up or down key you hit.  This works fairly well, but you can't make
it truely silent.
     Another thing is during transfers I leave my pointer at the size,
and just hit read word once every once in a while, can't do that easily
with any pointer system I have had, including Artic 2.x, Screen Talk
v2.x, SoftVert v4.something, Verbal Operating System v something new (my
roomates machine).
     It can be handy to have the ability to halt things before they get
out of hand, but you relearn things as you go, and learn to easily live
with out it, heck, with Screen Reader you could probablly make the PAL
language make a machine halt if you wanted, I'll try that, ssome BIOS
call or something.  Hmmm.
     Well, I hope this msg have given you a few ideas, send me more,
I'll keep thinking with you.

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