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From: gat@inuxd.UUCP (G Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.info-terms
Subject: Re: ASCII and ANSI terminals, what is the difference??
Message-ID: <830@inuxd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Dec-85 10:03:07 EST
Article-I.D.: inuxd.830
Posted: Mon Dec 30 10:03:07 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 31-Dec-85 03:32:37 EST
References: <491@sdcc12.UUCP> <138@rruxo.UUCP> <346@weitek.UUCP> <804@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Consumer Products, Indianapolis
Lines: 37

> 
> ANS X3.64 is an extension of ANS X3.41 (ASCII), so an ANSI terminal is
> by definition an ASCII terminal.  ANS X3.64 is a particular control
> sequence repertoire defined using the scheme described in another
> standard (whose number I do not recall), titled something like "Code
> Extension Techniques for American Standard Code for Information
>
Just to set the record straight, the ASCII character set is defined by
the ANSI X3.4 standard ("American National Standard Code for
Information Interchange") and NOT by X3.41 ("American National
Standard Code Extension Techniques for Use with the 7-Bit Coded
Character Set of American National Standard Code for Information
Interchange").  Thus X3.4 defines the basic 7-bit ASCII character set,
X3.41 defines a technique for extending that character set, and X3.64
provides a standard coding for a HUGE array of controls for
2-dimensional imaging devices.  Incidentally, X3.64 really only pays
lip service to X3.41 since it uses a code extension technique that
isn't really within the spirit of that standard (and they say as much
in the introduction to the X3.64 standard).

One point that several people have questioned here is whether X3.64
requires the use of ASCII.  The answer is simply YES; the title of
X3.64 is "American National Standard Additional Controls for Use with
American National Standard Code for Information Interchange."  Notice
that the final 7 words of the title are the proper name for ASCII.

The ANSI standards are not entertaining reading but they are
interesting.  There are several other standards that pertain to this
general discussion that haven't been dragged into the fray, but rather
than prolong this discussion on the net I would invite those
interested to find a good library and browse through the standards for
themselves.

Glen A. Taylor
AT&T (Consumer Products Division)
Indianapolis, IN 
(317) 845-3709   inuxd!gat