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From: einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: ALED goes to the wastebasket here in Iceland
Message-ID: <3269@krafla.rhi.hi.is>
Date: 18 Jun 91 10:44:13 GMT
References: <27098@as0c.sei.cmu.edu> <3253@krafla.rhi.hi.is> <7326@vela.acs.oakland.edu>
Reply-To: einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason)
Organization: University of Iceland (RHI)
Lines: 41

In article <7326@vela.acs.oakland.edu> w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil writes:
>I think everyone is missing the main question.  Why didn't the
>original complainer send a private e-mail to the author (whose address
>*was* provided), asking if he would please add 8th bit support to his
>editor.  Instead of doing that, the complainer posted to the whole
>world that he was throwing the editor away because it didn't support
>the 8th bit.  That was NOT fair to the author.  You didn't give him a
>chance!

Ok.  Maybe I should have got a cup of coffee or tea and think it over.
I think I owe the author an apology, but my point is still valid.  Programs
should *not* mask the 8th bit.
Besides, if I had send the author a letter, he might have fixed ALED, but
then there is the rest.  The Whole lot of other programs that *DO* *MASK*
the 8th bit.  

>By the way, I haven't received any sample text and/or exact
>instructions on how to configure a PC in the USA to allow authors to
>*see* what 8th bit users need.  Instead, I've received messages saying
>that I should look in the MS-DOS manual and figure it out for myself.
>Can you blame authors for ignoring answers like that?

No not really.
BUT it would help if one would stop seeing codeing like this:
	....
	c = (getchar() & 0x7f);		/* notice this, here the 8th bit is
					masked */
	....

Instead I would like to see more code in this lines:
	....
	c = getchar();			/* notice this, no masking of the
					8th bit */
	....


--
Internet:    einari@rhi.hi.is        |   "Just give me my command line and drag
UUCP:    ..!mcsun!isgate!rhi!einari  |   the GUIs to the waste basket!!!!"

Surgeon Generals warning:  Masking the 8th bit can seriously damage your brain!!