[comp.sys.hp] Reading cursor keys in HP Pascal

rkl@mva.cs.liv.ac.uk (11/17/89)

In article <415@bnrunix.UUCP>, rick@bnrunix.UUCP (Richard Johns X7191) writes:
> Hi.  Anyone know how to read the cursor keys from HP Pascal?
>  I'm running HP/UX 6.5 (so far) on a 9000/300.  TIA.

Interesting question, this one. I solved it by using curses linked into the
Pascal. Even then, it appears that the timeout supplied by curses for parsing
escape sequences (1 second) is way too short and I had to end up parsing
them myself (sometimes curses WOULD parse it correctly and other times it
would return the full escape sequence back). I assume intelligent folks out
there already know how to link (and use !) the curses library into HP
Pascal...it's not for the faint-hearted (and the LINES and COLS external
integers are extremely difficult to read - I've ended up with C 'glue'
routines hich are also linked in).

In actual fact, I've written my own USENET News reader using curses in HP
Pascal - am I the only one who hates rn ??

On a different note, why doesn't HP Pascal have any bitwise operators between
integers such as AND, OR and XOR ?? Or have I missed something here ?

Richard K. Lloyd,       **** This is a MicroVAX II running VAX/VMS V5.1 ****
Computer Science Dept., * JANET     : RKL@UK.AC.LIV.CS.MVA or              *
Liverpool University,   *             RKL@000010500211.FTP.MAIL            *
Merseyside, England,    * Internet  : RKL%mva.cs.liv.ac.uk@cunyvm.cuny.edu *
Great Britain.          ****************************************************

bigelow@hpfcso.HP.COM (Jim Bigelow) (11/23/89)

Richard K. Lloyd writes:

> On a different note, why doesn't HP Pascal have any bitwise operators between
> integers such as AND, OR and XOR ?? Or have I missed something here ?

My guess is that since pascal has evaloved from a language that hides/abstracts
the user from the underlying architecture, there was no need for bit operators.
This of course, like many other "lacking" features in pascal left the user to
write his or her own, thereby given rise to the fragemented nature of pascal as
it exists today.

But enough philosophizing!  It sounds like a worthy enchancement given enough 
demand from customers of HP pascal.  I hear one bid, are there any others?

Jim Bigelow
HP S300 Pascal
Colorado Language Lab.
HP

Standard disclaimer:  "Nothing I have, or will say should be construed as the
opionion of my employer HP or as a commitment for future or present work."