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From: sandersr@ecn-pc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: What is NANSI.SYS?
Message-ID: <574@ecn-pc.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Jul-86 03:41:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: ecn-pc.574
Posted: Mon Jul 14 03:41:59 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jul-86 01:40:38 EDT
References: <6200040@inmet> <5314@ut-sally.UUCP>
Reply-To: sandersr@ecn-pc.UUCP (Robert C Sanders)
Organization: Electrical Engineering Department , Purdue University
Lines: 45

[nibbles and bits ...]

In-Reply-To: <6200040@inmet> From bcking@inmet
>Could someone please explain what NANSI.SYS is, and how it differs
>from ANSI.SYS, and how I test it on my system to see if it works
>okay? 		== Christine King

It is a more efficient console device driver.  If you any of the MS DOS
"Software Developer's Kits", or "Programmer's Tool Kits" available for
the various permutations of PC/MS DOS, you will see the source for the
current ANSI.SYS in assembler form.  The driver from Microsoft is slow,
kludgy, and does support even full ANSI escape sequences.  The author
of NANSI.SYS set out to write a better console device driver, that is
both faster and more efficient, and to include more escape sequences
recognized by the program.  Its sources and assembled versions are public
domain, and you are welcome to use them on your machine.  It supports
the new EGA video adaptors in 43-line mode, as well as most of the mono-
chrome modes; ANSI.SYS does not.

There is another public domain program out that overrides the weaknesses
built into the ANSI.SYS driver -- it is the FANSI.SYS (or FANSI-CONSOLE)
driver.  It too is faster, more efficient, and knows more commands, but
it is a FULL implementation of the ANSI standards.  In other words, it
is even better than NANSI.SYS.

To give you an idea, check the screen differences between an IBM XT
running at 4.77 MHz, and one running at 8 MHz.  That's about the same
difference you would get if you installed NANSI.SYS.  Now if you were
to substitute a NEC V20 chip for that 8088-1 running at 8 MHz, you would
see the comparative difference the FANSI.SYS would provide for an older
machine at the slow speed.  These speed-ups are real and are proven.

Now, if you run your machine at 8 Mhz, use a V20 chip, AND load the FANSI.SYS
driver, wow! you will really be zooming along.

Bottom line?  Use NANSI.SYS if you have a copy.  (one was posted to net.
sources about a week ago)  It includes some escape sequences that a few
programs out require.

-- 
Continuing Engineering Education Telecommunications
Purdue University 		...!ihnp4!pur-ee!pc-ecn!sandersr

Let's make like a BSD process, and go FORK-OFF !!	-- bob
(and "make" a few children while we're at it ...)