Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site uvacs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl
From: rwl@uvacs.UUCP (Ray Lubinsky)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Funny prompts
Message-ID: <1654@uvacs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Nov-84 14:34:40 EST
Article-I.D.: uvacs.1654
Posted: Sun Nov  4 14:34:40 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 07:35:20 EST
References: <581@gloria.UUCP> <10600177@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: U.Va. CS dept.  Charlottesville, VA
Lines: 53

> After many hours of research :-) and inspiration from your prompts, I have come
> up with this one:
> 
> set   prompt='[======]----------------** * * * * 
> * * * * * * * * * * 
> *        \!  '
> 
> Try it, you'll like it.
> 
> Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)
> "Lord knows, we need more statesmen."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<*** FLAME ON ***>

I was wondering what was so funny about this prompt until I started editing
this flame and saw what you _intended_ send.  What I received on my terminal
was:

set   prompt='[======]----------*
*
  \!  '

which didn't make any sense so I tried it out.  Definitely a dud.  Then when
your message came up in the editor I see this:

> set   prompt='[======]----------------*^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H
> ^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* ^H^H^H* 
> ^H^H^H* ^H^H ^H^H ^H^H ^H^H ^H^H ^H^H^H^H^H  \!  '

where each ^H is a backspace.  Maybe you still use hard-copy terminals where
ever _you_ are but the rest of us have moved up to terminals and each of those
literal backspaces where invisible!

<*** FLAME OFF ***>

Since we're on the topic of prompts (funny or otherwise), I was wondering if
any C-shell hackers know of a way to make the shell execute an arbitrary
program each time the prompt comes up.  Right now I use a prompt that displays
the current command number at the top right of the screen in reverse video,
then places the usual '% ' prompt at the lower left hand corner (this is on an
adm5 dumb terminal).

I know about the standard method of aliasing commands (like cd and pushd/popd)
to change the prompt, but I'd like to find a way to set the prompt so that
'date' is executed each time I get a prompt in the login shell.  Any wizards
out there that can take this one on?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ray Lubinsky		     University of Virginia, Dept. of Computer Science
			     uucp: decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!rwl