[net.micro.atari] 520ST cursor

stephan@kontron.UUCP (Stephan W. Wendl) (01/22/86)

Everytime I use MicroEmacs or the pseudo shell "command.prg" I am loosing
(of course I dont know whether it was there before) the cursor. It sort of
fishing in the dark trying to edit a file without having a cursor. I would like
to know whether someone knows how to solve this problem before I start digging
through my development pkg. Thanks for any advise leading to the recovery of 
this precious part of my ST.

randy@nlm-vax.UUCP (01/24/86)

In article <480@kontron.UUCP> stephan@kontron.UUCP (Stephan W. Wendl) writes:
>Everytime I use MicroEmacs or the pseudo shell "command.prg" I am loosing
>(of course I dont know whether it was there before) the cursor. It sort of
>fishing in the dark trying to edit a file without having a cursor. I would like
>to know whether someone knows how to solve this problem before I start digging
>through my development pkg. Thanks for any advise leading to the recovery of 
>this precious part of my ST.

This is probably a common problem, so I'm posting the solution rather than
responding by mail.  There are two basic types of applications, GEM and TOS.
The TOS applications can be divided into TOS and TOS-TAKES-PARAMETERS.  By
default, files ending in .PRG, .TOS, and .TTP are GEM, TOS, and TOS-TAKES-
PARAMETERS applications respectively.  The only difference between TOS and
TTP is you get a chance to enter command line options when starting a TTP
application.  This application type can be overridden using the Install
Application menu item.  [Don't forget to save the desktop after doing this
unless you want it to go away the next time you boot]

What does this have to do with your problem?  GEM applications use a mouse
cursor and TOS applications use a standard terminal type cursor.  To get the
standard cursor, you have to specify that this is a TOS application.  So, if
you change MicroEmacs to me.ttp (so you can put a file name on the command
line), or install it as a TTP application, you'll have a proper cursor when
it runs.

wampler@unmvax.UUCP (01/24/86)

> Everytime I use MicroEmacs or the pseudo shell "command.prg" I am loosing
> (of course I dont know whether it was there before) the cursor.
	This one is easy, once you figure it out.  Don't call the file
.prg!  Use .ttp or .tos.  When you rename it to .tos, the cursor
stays.  (This is independent of the set options menu - you must rename
the file).  As far as I know, this is not documented anywhere, but I
just accidentally discovered this.
--
Dr. Bruce E. Wampler
University of New Mexico
Department of Computer Science
Albuquerque, NM 87131

..{ucbvax | seismo!gatech | ihnp4!lanl}!unmvax!wampler

franco@iuvax.UUCP (01/24/86)

This is also an ST question.  While we are on the subject of cursors, 
does anyone know how to get the cursor to stay on all the time.  Having 
the cursor on the screen half the time is alot better than not at all but
it still is annoying in EMACS. Thanks.

lcp@slovax.UUCP (Larry Procter) (01/26/86)

> Everytime I use MicroEmacs or the pseudo shell "command.prg" I am loosing
> (of course I dont know whether it was there before) the cursor. It sort of
> fishing in the dark trying to edit a file without having a cursor. I would 
> like to know whether someone knows how to solve this problem before I start
> digging through my development pkg. Thanks for any advise leading to the 
> recovery of this precious part of my ST.


    By simply changing the file name extension to ".TOS", the cursor will be
retained.  This is true for any executable such as Micro-Emacs, Command.prg,
etc.

Larry Procter                     (uw-beaver!tikal!slovax!lcp)

R & D Associates
Tacoma, Wa.

ireland@ALMSA-1.ARPA (Mike Ireland) (01/26/86)

<ritual sacrifice>

An addendum to randy's response to stephen's question:

(If you run programs from both command.prg and the desktop.)

I've found it's most convenient to use the .prg extension and use the Install
Application option to specify the program type (TOS or TOS-TAKES-PARAMETERS).
Command.prg does not recognize .tos or .ttp as a default program extension
like it does .prg.  For example, MicroEMACS would be named me.prg and be
installed as TOS-TAKES-PARAMETERS.

Be sure and save the desktop after installing an application!

Btw, does anyone know if there is a limit on the number of installed
applications?  (Or what the practical limit is?)
-- 
Mike Ireland <ireland@almsa-1.arpa>       ..!seismo!brl!ireland@almsa-1.arpa
USAMC ALMSA, Box 1578, St. Louis, MO  63188-1578      (314) 263-5118, AV 693