[comp.emacs] Bell Labs emacs

jimmy@PIC.UCLA.EDU (07/03/88)

I recently obtained AT&T Bell Labs emacs, version 4.9b, released in 1986
(from the STORE!) and written by Warren Montgomery.  It's nice in that 
it is quick to load (unlike GNU) and supports the mouse on my console 
(unlike uemacs or jove).

What bothers me about it is it doesn't do reverse scrolling (I hate
screen redraws when backwards scrolling), and doesn't use the termcap
or terminfo database (it has its own term description file).

I'm wondering if there is a newer version of Bell Labs emacs that 
corrects these problems and/or adds new features/capabilities.

Jim Gottlieb  <jimmy@PIC.UCLA.EDU>  or  <jimmy@denwa.UUCP>

warren@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Montgomery) (07/05/88)

This is a response to jim Gottlieb's questions, which I could not
get through via mail.  Hit n unless you are really interested.

There is a newer version, but it won't help your problem that much.
My emacs can actually be compiled to use termcap, terminfo, or the
internal distribution system.  In the early days of the unix/pc, my
own was the only one I could count on being there, so that's the way
it is built for THE STORE.  As I look at the
description for the unix/pc console, the problem I see is that it
doesn't have capabilities for insert or delete line.  I don't know
if this is just my bad descriptor or something else.  If these are
present, it will do a reverse scroll by doing line inserts and
deletes, which is somewhat better looking that a complete redraw.  I
never bothered to use a full screen reverse scroll, because there
are few terminals that will do that but won't do insert/delete, and
insert/delete usually works out better in the long run because it
preserves the status lines on the bottom of the screen.

If you want to experiment with the terminal descriptions, run emacs
and edit the files in ~EMACS/terminals (~EMACS expands correctly
only inside of emacs).  The one for the console is probably
~EMACS/terminals/s4, but I'm not sure.  It's whatever your $TERM is
set to.  If you find documentation that suggests that you can
selectively add or delete lines, you can add those capabilities by
setting "al=" or "dl=" in the file.  Let me know if you get
something to work.
-- 

Warren Montgomery ihlpf!warren

jcs@tarkus.UUCP (John C. Sucilla) (07/05/88)

In article <14112@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> jimmy@PIC.UCLA.EDU (Jim Gottlieb) writes:
>I recently obtained AT&T Bell Labs emacs, version 4.9b, released in 1986
>(from the STORE!) and written by Warren Montgomery.

I don't think that program is available to non AT&T employees.
How did you talk the store into sending it to you?

>What bothers me about it is it doesn't do reverse scrolling (I hate
>screen redraws when backwards scrolling), and doesn't use the termcap
>or terminfo database (it has its own term description file).

Genuine Bell Labs (Warren Montgomery) emacs can be compiled to use
terminfo instead of the built in terminal descriptors.  You need
source to do this, of course.  If your an employee you can get the
source.

>I'm wondering if there is a newer version of Bell Labs emacs that 
>corrects these problems and/or adds new features/capabilities.

Thats not a problem, it's a feature.

-- 
John "C". Sucilla,  A silicon based life form.
       {ihnp4,chinet,ddsw1}!tarkus!jcs
  You have a better idea? Now's the time..

ron@topaz.rutgers.edu (Ron Natalie) (07/06/88)

Montgomery's EMACS is available from the Toolchest.  Before people
go off the deep end complaining about the fact that AT&T does not
make products available, please look there.  Lots of things including
KSH are there.

-Ron

blackje@sunspot.steinmetz (emmett black) (07/13/88)

In article <121@tarkus.UUCP> jcs@tarkus.UUCP (John C. Sucilla) writes:
>In article <14112@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> jimmy@PIC.UCLA.EDU (Jim Gottlieb) writes:
>>I'm wondering if there is a newer version of Bell Labs emacs that 
>>corrects these problems and/or adds new features/capabilities.
>
>Thats not a problem, it's a feature.

	That's a "FEECHUR" ! 	:-)



--Emmett
	BlackJE@GE-CRD.ARPA
	...!steinmetz!crd!blackje

	GE Corporate Research & Development
	Schenectady, NY         12345