rickc@iddic.UUCP (04/13/84)
How about using ANSI X3.64 standards for text enhancement on net articles? Specifically, the ^[[ (escape left bracket) 0m where 0 can be an integer to specify underline, highlight, inverse video, &c. (This is the 'select graphic rendition' command.) o Does anyone know of terminals that absolutely die when they receive an ^[[ sequence? o What will the news software do to this poor escape character? I know that the terminal that I am using (a Tektronix 4112) does not mind getting an ^[[ when it is not in ANSI mode. Just an idea, Rick Coates tektronix!iddic!rickc
joee@orca.UUCP (Joe Eckardt) (04/13/84)
Please do NOT use ANSI codes for text enhancments! There ARE terminals that die an untimely death when they receive some of those codes. My CT-8500 is, unfortunately, one of them. I know there are others but don't know them by model. (At very best a burst of ANSI codes generally leaves the screen locked in inverse video, or all underlined, or turns off the cursor. More often it also locks up the keyboard.) There NOTHING worse than getting a letter bomb which leaves your terminal in such a state that the power must be cycled to unlock things. This is particularly annoying when you are on a dialup and cycling the power also drops the line requiring you to redial in. PLEASE refrain from inbedding ANSI codes! Thanks. Joe Eckardt Tektronix Wilsonville, Oregon UUCP: ...!tektronix!tekecs!joee (ignore return address) CSNET: tekecs!joee @ tektronix ARPA: tekecs!joee.tektronix @ rand-relay
mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (04/15/84)
In fact, the netnews software currently strips all control characters (except for safe ones like return, newline, and tab) out of all news that passes through it. The reason for this is that someone once posted a message that had the HP 2621 underline command in it. On HP terminals, it underlined the text beautifully when displayed by readnews. On a Concept 100, it locked the keyboard. I think (but am not sure) that you can underline things using backspaces or carriage returns and _ characters, and have them pass through unmolested. If the reader is using the "more" program to display news (which is often the default), more may display it underlined. I would suggest experimentation before trying this, things like which method you use to underline and whether the text or the underlines come first probably matter, especially if the reader does NOT use more.
jdi@psuvax.UUCP (John D. Irwin) (04/15/84)
A ^[[ sequence causes Teleray 1061's to die a horrible death. This causes
interesting problems on VMS, for example.
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Uucp: {akgua, allegra, cornell, princeton, ihnp4, burdvax}!psuvax!jdimsc@qubix.UUCP (Mark Callow) (04/16/84)
Perhaps we should make the news reading software translate the ANSI standard
sequences into the appropriate termcap strings etc.
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