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From: wcs@ho95e.ATT.COM (Bill.Stewart)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: when using termcap, get it right!
Message-ID: <1467@ho95e.ATT.COM>
Date: Sun, 31-May-87 16:33:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: ho95e.1467
Posted: Sun May 31 16:33:40 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jun-87 02:26:47 EDT
References: <1149@carthage.swatsun.UUCP> <8601@tekecs.TEK.COM>
Reply-To: wcs@ho95e.UUCP (46133-Bill.Stewart,2G218,x0705,)
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs 46133, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 25
Keywords: termcap, curses, magic cookies

In article <8601@tekecs.TEK.COM> snoopy@doghouse.gwd.tek.com (Snoopy) writes:
>In article <1149@carthage.swatsun.UUCP> schwartz@swatsun (Scott Schwartz) writes:
>
>>	[Why does ADDS Viewpoint act braindamaged; describes magic cookie]
>>So microEmacs (all versions that I know of, up to 3.8f), for example, 
>>prints like this on a viewpoint: >>	n o s p a c e s
>Am I missing something here, or should these termcap entries include
>a backspace to return the curser to where it belongs?
>Why screw up a bunch of code to get around brain-damaged hardware
>if it can be fixed in the termcap entry?

As other posters point out, termcap fixes aren't enough; magic cookies
are serious braindamage.  Apparently some manufacturer (?Rockwell) made a
relatively low-cost chipset that was used by Televideo, ADDS, 
some WYSE terminals , etc.  and all these terminals started calling
themselves Televideo-compatible, as if it were a good thing.

It may not be possible to fix MicroEMACS to use them, except by turning
off the highlighting modes entirely.  Most EMACS descendants  share
Richard Stallman's view that you shouldn't mung up your software to
accomodate bad hardware decisions made by other people.  (Control-S is
the prime example.)  I tend to disagree; software should be made
flexible enough to work around most problems.
-- 
# Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G-202, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs