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From: decwrl!inetgw!decvax!adbpc!alanb@uunet.uu.net
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Author rebuttal on Aled
Message-ID: <3471@crdos1.crd.ge.COM>
Date: 20 Jun 91 00:35:57 GMT
Sender: davidsen@crdos1.crd.ge.COM
Lines: 62
To: ibmbin@crdgw1

Hello:
         Since ALed seems to have stirred things up a bit, I thought I would
reply and set things straight. Could you PLEASE post to comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
for me as I have no way to Post from my site.

        Thank You,
              Alan Boulanger (Author of Aled)


Hello NetLand:

        Having read a number of messages in this news group I felt compelled to
reply.

        Point #1: ALed does *NOT* mask ANY BITS!

        Aled uses the BIOS to obtain keyboard input. There is not a "bug"
handling the NULL character returned in AL after the call to the BIOS system.
When a "regular" key is pressed, the BIOS returns the ASCII value in AL and
AH is NULL. When a "special" key is pressed, the BIOS return NULL in AL and
AH returns the position of the key on the keyboard. No Problems here. I was not
trying to enhance any keyboard stuff. Just following the rules.

        Point #2: NON USA keyboard problems.

        Well, the reason for all of this chaos regarding keyboard input is due
to the fact that ALed uses ALT key combinations to process commands. ( It's
funny though that anyone remotely familiar with the IBM will automatically KNOW
that an ALT combination will generate a value exceeding 8 bits :-))

The problem is EASY to fix and is attributed to an oversight on my part.
For that I am sorry.

        However, instead of whinging and whining about it, offer
suggestions to improve it. That way EVERYONE benefits. If you don't like a
product, at least argue intelligently against it. Stating that "Product FOOBAR
sucks because..Hmm..well.because I said so" is not a very bright argument and
benefits no one.

Anyways, I really like to hear from people who use ALed. If you think it
sucks, send me some Email explaining why you feel that way. If you like it but
would like to see some new features, send me Email and we will talk about it
and I may implement your suggestions (With credit due). I have tried to write a
useful tool to aid programmers. I was only trying to help.

        Solution: An installer the allow the user to select the command keys
and colors..etc of their choice?

        Whew! Glad that's settled <grin>

                Alan Boulanger (Author of Aled)

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Alan Boulanger    |   Software Engineer...Or so they tell me.
  alanb@adbpc.UUCP  |----------------------------------------------------------
  (603)886-1086     |   Often people confuse bad managment with destiny.
--------------------+----------------------------------------------------------
Documentation is like sex: When it's good, it's fantastic, when it's bad...
					it's still better than nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~