Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!orsvax1!pyrnj!caip!nike!styx!lll-crg!seismo!rochester!rocksanne!sunybcs!kitty!baylor!peter
From: peter@baylor.UUCP (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Re: PD Communications Program Wanted
Message-ID: <638@baylor.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-May-86 09:29:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: baylor.638
Posted: Fri May  9 09:29:31 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 13-May-86 03:30:28 EDT
References: <2149@uwmacc.UUCP> <600@kepler.UUCP>
Organization: The Power Elite, Houston, TX
Lines: 48

> I've noticed exactly the same thing you have.  I've been using Procomm
> because its vt100 works pretty well for my girlfriend calling a VAX
> using "All-in-one" application software.  Otherwise I've been terribly
> disappointed by the terminal emulations.  I didn't realize it was so
> difficult!  (In Procomm even the ANSI-BBS emulation doesn't quite work.
> If he would just get out of the way and let ANSI.SYS deal with it, I
> could write a working termcap.)
> 
> I wonder if there's anything to be found in the professionally developed
> software that does any better?

Nope, it's worse. That's why I wrote my own terminal program, "Smartty". It
emulates a VT52 well enough to fool VMS, but for some reason I still can't
get the VT100 mode to match... I'm supporting all the escape sequences that
are meaningful "by the book", but I still can't use EDIT/EDT in VT100 mode.
On the other hand, it works great with VI. I've uploaded it to a few BBS
systems around here.

Other advantages to Smartty:

	* It's very nearly modeless. The keyboard is live in all setup and
	  dialling menus unless you're actually typing in a file name or
	  a macro. This way you can play with your setup parameters while
	  pounding the keyboard. Also, all menus use the same set of keys
	  to select & use entries.
	  
	* It will (with a little bit of luck: MS-DOS brain damage can cause
	  problems) download and communicate over both ports at the same time.

	* It emulates ADM3a, Tvi912, VT52, and VT100 (with some extra codes for
	  insert/delete line/character) terminals.

	* It will dial (though not repeat-dial) just about any modem you can
	  think of.

	* It's well behaved: it uses BIOS screen I/O for speed but the only
	  hardware hacks it uses are those necessary for the Async ports (more
	  MS-DOS breain damage).

	* Finally, I'm more than willing to listen and add features I find
	  believable. And if anyone knows what weird things VMS is doing to
	  my VT100 mode, please let me know!

I can't upload it here, but if you'll leave me mail I'll tell you how to get
hold of it.
-- 
-- Peter da Silva
-- UUCP: ...!shell!{baylor,graffiti}!peter; MCI: PDASILVA; CIS: 70216,1076