Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dalcs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!dartvax!dalcs!z005
From: z005@dalcs.UUCP (Neil Erskine)
Newsgroups: net.info-terms
Subject: Re: VT100 Compatible Terminals
Message-ID: <614@dalcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 07:30:37 EST
Article-I.D.: dalcs.614
Posted: Fri Feb 17 07:30:37 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Feb-84 07:42:06 EST
Organization: Dalhousie U, Halifax N.S.
Lines: 21


	While on the subject of the VT100 (essentially ANSI standard)
terminals, and brain damage, does anyone out there understand why the
decision was made to allow individual setting of the attribute bits
through the Select Graphic Renditon sequence (ESC [ Ps;...;Ps m),
and did not make a provision for individually clearing them? The only
way to clear an individual attribute is to clear all of them and reset
those that are still desired.
	This might be fine for DEC type software, where generally every-
one knows what is going on everywhere, but in an environment that runs
through termcap, with fields for turn on attribute, turn off attribute,
it is not possible to accomplish some things. The specific case
that annoyed me was the my inability to cause sysline to output entirely in
half intensity by placing an "enter half intensity" in the goto status
line sequence, and "exit half intensity" in the leave status line
sequence. The time appears in half intensity, but when it leaves a blank
space to separate fields, the half intensity bit is lost. A logical
magic mushroom!
	Is anyone out there familiar with the committee that arrived at
this standard, and if so what went wrong!