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From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn )
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: termcap (was: modemcap(5) and dial(3))
Message-ID: <6629@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 30-Oct-87 02:47:25 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.6629
Posted: Fri Oct 30 02:47:25 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Nov-87 06:24:37 EST
References: <1548@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <142700004@tiger.UUCP> <292@minya.UUCP> <1933@killer.UUCP> <9156@mimsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB) <gwyn>)
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD.
Lines: 22

In article <9156@mimsy.UUCP> chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes:
>For instance, termcap does not have a way to start and end boldface
>or blinking modes, both of which are fairly common enhancement
>modes, much like inverse video (black-on-white characters) and
>underline.  Underlining is started by `us' and ended by `ue';
>inverse video is started by `so' and ended by `se'.  By rights
>blinking should be `bs' and `be' or `bl' and be'; boldface should
>be `bs' and `be' or `bo' and `be'.  `bs' is already in use for
>backspace, and clearly `be' cannot be used for both; I wound up
>using `bo' and `be' for bold, and `ws' and `we' for blink (`w' for
>`wink').

Ahem, please follow the official TERMCAP(5) provided with 4.3BSD.
	mb	Turn on blinking attribute
	md	Turn on bold (extra bright) attribute
	me	Turn off all attributes

Termcap does have its problems, and the two-letter mnemonics are
getting rather strained.  The biggest problem, apart from not being
able to support the "sa" (define the [up to 9] video attributes)
capability, is the 1024-character expanded description limit, which
is too small for a complete description of some terminals.