[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Asked before: 'less' for DOS?

cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) (09/15/89)

I'm a dedicated MKS user, but alas, we lack a 'less'.  Is there one
hanging around for ftp?

Thanks in advance. . .
-- 
O---------------------------------------------------------------------->
| Cliff Joslyn, Cybernetician at Large
| Systems Science, SUNY Binghamton, cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu
V All the world is biscuit shaped. . .

keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (09/20/89)

In article <2430@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) writes:
>
>I'm a dedicated MKS user, but alas, we lack a 'less'.  Is there one
>hanging around for ftp?
>

The following MKS ksh alias is _kinda'_ close...

alias more='pg -p "page %d --More--" -n -s'

kEITHe

christie@kylie.oz (Chris Tham) (10/04/89)

In article <5959@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes:
>In article <2430@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) writes:
>>
>>I'm a dedicated MKS user, but alas, we lack a 'less'.  Is there one
>>hanging around for ftp?
>>
>
>The following MKS ksh alias is _kinda'_ close...
>
>alias more='pg -p "page %d --More--" -n -s'

Sorry for the belated reply, I'm finally catching up on articles!!!


I have an old version of less (v48 I think) ported to MS-DOS, but it
requires a TERMCAP database (in /etc/termcap) and a good console driver
(preferably nansi, zansi or fansi).  I'm willing to post that, but I
might be converting v97 to MS-DOS RSN (Real Soon Now) and this time I
might see if I can get it working with PC Curses so it writes directly
to the screen using BIOS calls (which makes it faster and doesn't
require any console device driver).  Mail me for more information.

BTW, from memory, my port of less was done on Microsoft C 4.0 using a
public domain termcap library ported to MS-DOS plus various hacks to
make it run on MS-DOS.  It supported all of less's features including
calling of editor etc. etc.

I don't have ftp because we are running ACSnet.  I can make it available
for fetchfile but I doubt that would help you.
-- 
Internet: christie@kylie.otr.oz		"I'm Pink, therefore I'm Spam"
JANET: christie%kylie.oz@uk.cc.ucl.cs	Phone: +612 235-0255
UUCP: {uunet,hplabs,mcvax,ukc,nttlab}!munnari!christie@kylie.otr.oz
Mail: Optech Research Pty Ltd, Level 60 MLC Centre Sydney NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA

fredex@cg-atla.UUCP (Fred Smith) (10/05/89)

In article <1140@kylie.oz> christie@kylie.oz (Chris Tham) writes:
>In article <5959@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes:
>>In article <2430@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) writes:
>>>
>>>I'm a dedicated MKS user, but alas, we lack a 'less'.  Is there one
>>>hanging around for ftp?
>>>
>>




Well, this aint exactly what you asked for, but, I just this week sent to Rahul
(moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc) version 2.3 of my version of more for DOS.
It is patterned after the unix more, with some extensions. You might keep your
eyes open, for it should be coming down the pipe in the not-far-distant-future.
Try it--you might like it!  If you don't, I won't be (very) offended!

Fred

richard@calvin.EE.CORNELL.EDU (Richard Brittain) (10/07/89)

In article <1140@kylie.oz> christie@kylie.oz (Chris Tham) writes:
>In article <5959@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM> keithe@tekgvs.LABS.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) writes:
>>In article <2430@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) writes:
>>>I'm a dedicated MKS user, but alas, we lack a 'less'.  Is there one
>>>hanging around for ftp?
>>
>I have an old version of less (v48 I think) ported to MS-DOS, but it
>requires a TERMCAP database (in /etc/termcap) and a good console driver
>(preferably nansi, zansi or fansi).  I'm willing to post that, but I
>might be converting v97 to MS-DOS RSN (Real Soon Now) and this time I
>might see if I can get it working with PC Curses so it writes directly
>to the screen using BIOS calls (which makes it faster and doesn't
>require any console device driver).  Mail me for more information.
>-- 
>Internet: christie@kylie.otr.oz		"I'm Pink, therefore I'm Spam"
>JANET: christie%kylie.oz@uk.cc.ucl.cs	Phone: +612 235-0255
>UUCP: {uunet,hplabs,mcvax,ukc,nttlab}!munnari!christie@kylie.otr.oz
>Mail: Optech Research Pty Ltd, Level 60 MLC Centre Sydney NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA

	There is a port of less v 61 available on simtel20.  It basically has had
all of the termcap stuff removed and replaced with pc-specific code to do
the same thing.  It writes to the console, or directly to bios depending on
compile time flags.  
   I have been working with this version for several months now and have 
modified it to behave the way I want.  I have been wondering whether to 
send it to c.b.i.p or to wait until I get a chance to lobotomise the latest
and greatest version 123 which just came out in alt.sources.  Basically
the changes I have made are:
- default output is via bios/direct video with TurboC screen window functions
- an option flag -a makes the output all come to the console driver and this
  version runs fine on my DEC rainbow - so it's clean.
- arrow and obvious function keys are bound to their appropriate functions
- copes with lines with or without \r at the end  (stdin vs files)
- can pass ansi sequences through for viewing files with embedded sequences
  if you use -a option.
- implemented a visual bell if you use the bios/video option
- in the default bios/video option, you can change the size of the window
  and move it around the screen, preserving the screen underneath.
- fixed a couple of minor bugs from the original version 61 that I'm sure
  are fixed already in the latest unix release.
- truly 8-bit clean if you give it -c flag, good for viewing pc help files
  with pretty graphics in them
- correctly implements underline and bold, in both ansi mode and bios mode
  and is great for viewing output from pc versions of *roff
- ansi mode does need ansi.sys, but doesn't need a termcap (sequences are
  hardwired in, but specified in an include file for easy changing if you
  want to use strange colours (I have mono so I don't worry about such
  things).  Bios attributes are specified the same way so you can easily
  change and recompile.  It didn't seem worth making them variables but
  it could be done easily.

I use it all the time and seems pretty stable.  The scrolling speed is
limited only by your bios (bios isn't much faster than nansi) and if you
use the -p(paint from top istead of scrolling)  option, it is just a blur.
(At least on my machine, 12MHz AT - I tried it out on a not-quite compatible
4.77M pclone laptop and it worked but was a dog.)

I wanted the resizable windows, because I wanted to have pop-up help from
another program I was writing, into a pretty window with an elevator bar
and all that good stuff - but I wanted to have a fully functioned pager
running in the window.  It turned out to be pretty easy with Turbo C's
screen handling routines.
	If I get any interest in this I'll send it to Rahul, or I might just wait
till I can 'do' v123.  How many pagers can the world use tho.
If someone buys me a mouse I'll let you drag my windows around with that too.


Richard Brittain,                   School of Elect. Eng.,  Upson Hall   
                                    Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
ARPA: richard@calvin.spp.cornell.edu	
UUCP: {uunet,uw-beaver,rochester,cmcl2}!cornell!calvin!richard