alanb@uunet.uu.net (06/20/91)
Hello:
Since ALed seems to have stirred things up a bit, I thought I would
reply and set things straight. Could you PLEASE post to comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
for me as I have no way to Post from my site.
Thank You,
Alan Boulanger (Author of Aled)
Hello NetLand:
Having read a number of messages in this news group I felt compelled to
reply.
Point #1: ALed does *NOT* mask ANY BITS!
Aled uses the BIOS to obtain keyboard input. There is not a "bug"
handling the NULL character returned in AL after the call to the BIOS system.
When a "regular" key is pressed, the BIOS returns the ASCII value in AL and
AH is NULL. When a "special" key is pressed, the BIOS return NULL in AL and
AH returns the position of the key on the keyboard. No Problems here. I was not
trying to enhance any keyboard stuff. Just following the rules.
Point #2: NON USA keyboard problems.
Well, the reason for all of this chaos regarding keyboard input is due
to the fact that ALed uses ALT key combinations to process commands. ( It's
funny though that anyone remotely familiar with the IBM will automatically KNOW
that an ALT combination will generate a value exceeding 8 bits :-))
The problem is EASY to fix and is attributed to an oversight on my part.
For that I am sorry.
However, instead of whinging and whining about it, offer
suggestions to improve it. That way EVERYONE benefits. If you don't like a
product, at least argue intelligently against it. Stating that "Product FOOBAR
sucks because..Hmm..well.because I said so" is not a very bright argument and
benefits no one.
Anyways, I really like to hear from people who use ALed. If you think it
sucks, send me some Email explaining why you feel that way. If you like it but
would like to see some new features, send me Email and we will talk about it
and I may implement your suggestions (With credit due). I have tried to write a
useful tool to aid programmers. I was only trying to help.
Solution: An installer the allow the user to select the command keys
and colors..etc of their choice?
Whew! Glad that's settled <grin>
Alan Boulanger (Author of Aled)
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alan Boulanger | Software Engineer...Or so they tell me.
alanb@adbpc.UUCP |----------------------------------------------------------
(603)886-1086 | Often people confuse bad managment with destiny.
--------------------+----------------------------------------------------------
Documentation is like sex: When it's good, it's fantastic, when it's bad...
it's still better than nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) (06/26/91)
In article <3471@crdos1.crd.ge.COM> decwrl!inetgw!decvax!adbpc!alanb@uunet.uu.net writes: > Point #1: ALed does *NOT* mask ANY BITS! Ok. It doesn't mask the 8th bit. Sorry for that statement without trying it out fully. > Point #2: NON USA keyboard problems. Ah. Here we have it in nutshell :-) I am sorry for my first posting, but when I found out that Aled didn't allow me to enter my national characters, something snapped. ("The straw that broke the camels back") My posting was ment to bring attention of the problem of other nations than USA. I hope I have succseeded in converting some :-) -- Internet: einari@rhi.hi.is | "Just give me my command line and drag UUCP: ..!mcsun!isgate!rhi!einari | the GUIs to the waste basket!!!!" Surgeon Generals warning: Masking the 8th bit can seriously damage your brain!!
roberts@stsci.EDU (Jim Roberts) (06/27/91)
In article <3303@krafla.rhi.hi.is> einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) writes: >Ok. It doesn't mask the 8th bit. Sorry for that statement without trying >it out fully. [...] >I am sorry for my first posting, but when I found out that Aled didn't >allow me to enter my national characters, something snapped. ("The straw >that broke the camels back") >My posting was ment to bring attention of the problem of other nations than >USA. That's not how it appeared to me. "Something snapped" alright, something like a snapping turtle, which doesn't spend a lot of time in self-examination and isn't very particular about what it eats. It has seemed to me throughout this debate that taking care of the 8th bit is the hygienic way to write general editors for personal use. Editors for international communications are another matter at present. Most editors written in the US do take care of the 8th bit, so there aren't a lot of grounds for complaint. It shouldn't be necessary for everyone to *have* to reserve the 8th bit as character data. For you and a few others to rant on and on about how Americans aren't writing for your use, and not even display the diligence (or expertise?) to actually look at the product you are complaining about, shows either a lot of cheek (chutzpah) or a lack of responsibility. So let's see more responsible communications from Iceland! Chutzpah: "I'd like to buy a book on chutzpah, and I want you to pay for it." -- Jim Roberts roberts@stsci.edu scivax::roberts
einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) (06/27/91)
In article <2831@nemesis.stsci.edu> roberts@stsci.EDU (Jim Roberts) writes: >present. Most editors written in the US do take care of the 8th bit, Most. But NOT all. And somehow I manage to stumble accross those that don't :-( >so there aren't a lot of grounds for complaint. It shouldn't be >necessary for everyone to *have* to reserve the 8th bit as character >data. Yes. It should! (otherwise it is limited for the USA (allmost) only.) It certainly will be, here in Iceland (and the rest of Europe), *rather* much limited. >For you and a few others to rant on and on about how Americans aren't >writing for your use, and not even display the diligence (or >expertise?) to actually look at the product you are complaining about, What? I tried entering our national characters the standard way, (just as I can in (for example) edlin). They didn't enter. (I tried four of them and none registered.) I then tried the alt-numberic-trick. That worked. Conclusion: Unusable for me and my national characters! I certainly don't mean to spend my time, entering our characters through the numberic keypad. I have allready sent the author an apologie, and since I haven't found any 'bounced' messages in my mailbox (yet), I hope he has red it :-) -- Internet: einari@rhi.hi.is | "Just give me my command line and drag UUCP: ..!mcsun!isgate!rhi!einari | the GUIs to the waste basket!!!!" Surgeon Generals warning: Masking the 8th bit can seriously damage your brain!!
roberts@stsci.EDU (Jim Roberts) (06/28/91)
In article <3308@krafla.rhi.hi.is> einari@rhi.hi.is (Einar Indridason) writes: >In article <2831@nemesis.stsci.edu> roberts@stsci.EDU (Jim Roberts) writes: >>present. Most editors written in the US do take care of the 8th bit, > >Most. But NOT all. And somehow I manage to stumble accross those that don't What are you doing, always stumbling across editors? Can't you find even one that works to your satisfaction? I use a text editor for about 5 years before replacing it with something enough better, or better supported, and cheap enough to get me to switch. From 1981-84 I used WordStar, from 84-90 esp (Rand Corp), and now vde. I use a couple of special purpose editors for large data files and binary files. That's it on PCs. It's no surprise to me to try an editor that isn't nearly as convenient as the one I'm already using. I presume that others must find the other editors useful, or they wouldn't be written. That's enough for me: I don't have to use them. You never gave any reason for trying to use ALED. What did it have that your present editor doesn't? You sound like you are just on a hunt for something to bitch about. If we were all like that there wouldn't be anything constructive on this group, and it would quickly disappear. >and none registered.) I then tried the alt-numberic-trick. That worked. > ^ >Conclusion: So you *knew* it didn't mask the 8th bit, as you so loudly, rudely, and incorrectly proclaimed! Give us all a break. -- Jim Roberts roberts@stsci.edu scivax::roberts