[ont.micro.mac] MacTerminal emulation of DEC VT1xx

info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac) (06/07/84)

Date: Wed 6 Jun 84 10:54:14-PDT
From: Pentti Kanerva <uw-beaver!PKANERVA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: MacTerminal emulation of DEC VT1xx
To: Info-Mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
Cc: PKanerva@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA

This letter is for the people writing a VT100 emulatior for the
Macintosh computer:

     Would it be possible to extend it into a VT131 or VT132 emulator?
The VT13x has commands for inserting and deleting characters in a line,
which the VT100 does not have.  These commands are used by host-based
full-screen text editors such as TVEDIT and EMACS.  On the VT100 these
editors insert and delete in a line by rewriting the line from that
point on, which is painfully slow if you edit at home over a 300-baud
line, and slow even at 1200 baud.

     The VT131 could be the first choice for the emulation, as it has
the necessary commands but is simpler than the VT132.  Local editing,
special fields, and page transmit in the VT132 makes it a complicated
terminal to emulate.  Both the VT131 and the VT132 are compatible with
the VT100.  The difference between the VT100 with the Advanced Video
option and the VT131 is not very great.

- Pentti Kanerva
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