Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ahmcs!alan
From: alan@ahmcs.mq.com (Alan Mintz)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Foxpro on SCO Xenix
Message-ID: <227@ahmcs.mq.com>
Date: 29 Jun 91 20:15:37 GMT
References: <1991Jun20.182306.26927@ucunix.san.uc.edu> <79012@brunix.UUCP> <53@dworkin.UUCP>
Organization: Micro-Quick Systems, Inc.
Lines: 58

In article <53@dworkin.UUCP>, shevett@dworkin.UUCP ( Sysop) writes:
) fred@compu.com (Fred Rump) writes:
) 
) >shevett@dworkin.UUCP ( Sysop) writes:
) 
) >>the FoxBase under Unix is too limited in keyboard and video handling
) >>to be worth it.
) 
) >What doesn't the keyboard do?
) 
) Under Xenix, there is no way to trap more key definitions than those 
) allowed under the termcap.  Our DOS systems use Up,Down,Left,Right,Home,
) End,PageUp,PageDown, and all 10 function keys.  We can't trap those
) keys in a meaningful way under Xenix.  It just can't do it.

To be more accurate, it takes more code to trap these keys. Using SCO Foxbase+
and the INKEY() function, we have done a number of unusual things like

- A full-screen text editor that DOESN'T have to store it's output in
  MEMO files.

- A replacement for @ GET that allows initial cursor positioning, multiple
  hot keys, variable length fields, return of key value that was used to
  exit the field.

- A screen that updates itself every n seconds automatically WITHOUT running
  a processor-consuming loop.

) >        As for video, aren't you still stuck with dumb terminals as the 
) >        main limitation? Unless they do FoxPro for X nothing will really 
) >        change from that perspective.
) 
) Yes and no.  The interface under Xenix is *very* primitive.  Again, the
) keyboard problems come to mind, but if you look at an application like
) WordPerfect, they are doing some mighty fancy keyboard and video functions
) on 'dumb' terminals.

What's fancy about using function keys (again - available through SET FUNCTION
or INKEY())? Admittedly, it would be nice to see support for bold/underline/
blink and color in the SCO (or future Fox) product. I tried implementing this
within Fox+, but the (color) sequences I was sending were getting intermingled
with cursor positioning sequences.

) >        We supply hardware and integration services to a software house 
) >        that sells a $60K foxbase application. They did not wait for 
) >        fancy video to come out. They simply automate warehouseing 
) >        applications.
) 
) The problem is we need to port an application that is already running 
) under DOS with a *very* specific user interface to Unix.  We need the 
) advanced video and keyboard functions.

Then wait for Foxpro/*NIX (1Q92). It is reasonable to presume that they will
allow color support on terminals that support color. The point is, it is
possible to develop dynamic, "pretty", user-friendly applications using
the existing product - it just takes more work.
-- 
< Alan H. Mintz  | alan@ahmcs.mq.com | ...!uunet!ahmcs!alan >