Message-ID: <1cu64pAhs49yEwe5@darkblak.demon.co.uk> Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 19:16:49 +0000 To: opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net From: "Ian 'DrDebug' Day" Subject: Re: [opendos] A more ordered fixlist In-Reply-To: MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: owner-opendos AT mail DOT tacoma DOT net Precedence: bulk In article , mharris AT blackwidow DOT saultc DOT on DOT ca writes >On Sun, 2 Feb 1997, Ian 'DrDebug' Day wrote: > >> >> Also, I'd suggest an ANSI that is built into COMMAND.COM, what do you >> >> all think to that? Of course, it would be an OPTION! >> > >> >NO!!!! What use is ANSI.SYS nowadays anyways? >> > >> >I'm not asking this to get flamed, just because I know of no uses for >> >it anymore. I used to use it to switch to 50 line mode, and use color >> >in batch files, and a few other things. Now I use a 17 byte non-tsr >> >program which I've written to switch to 50 line mode, I use 4DOS for >> >color in batch files, and to redefine the keyboard safely, and I use >> >special viewers to view ANSI files. As for using DOS via a serial >> >port (which used to be the other reason I needed ANSI.SYS) I now use >> >DOS over serial/modem via DOSemu with no ANSI.SYS. What use does >> >ANSI.SYS really have anymore? I'm not suggesting in any way to get >> >rid of it either, just asking because I don't know. >> >> Well, for example, there's a lot of people out there that still use BBSs >> (in fact, we still run one) and they depend on ANSI for colour display. > >I still use BBS's too, and I still get color ANSI screens on my >screen too. I *DONT* have ANSI.SYS loaded either. I have also >ran a BBS and didn't have ANSI.SYS loaded either. Everything >worked just fine and in COLOR on both ends. Because, no doubt, you have a terminal emulator that will support ANSI without the need for a driver. It obviously has it's own internal one. Very few of them have this. >> And how would you do a luverly multi coloured prompt that sits in the >> top right of the screen without ANSI? ;-) > >Use 4DOS as your command interpreter, and use the SCRPUT, >DRAWBOX, DRAWHLINE, DRAWVLINE, SCREEN, TEXT, and VSCRPUT >commands, as well as the built in 4DOS %@xxx functions and %_xxxx >variables. These functions use DIRECT screen writes (or BIOS >writes if you configure 4DOS to NOT use direct writes). I do use 4DOS. I wouldn't use anything else. The functions you mention are not feasable for many of us 'die-hard-prompt-addicts' as it would make it too long for the environment (yes, even 4DOS's). >I can't justify loading ANSI.SYS and slowing down display writes >by a factor of 10 just to see a cute prompt on the top of the >screen. Heck, I don't even do it in 4DOS anymore cause it got >so annoying! Annoying for you, maybe. But for me, I display a whole bunch of info up in the top right of the screen (memory, date/time, session name etc.) This CANNOT be fast enough! ;-) DrDebug --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian 'DrDebug' Day | Email: Ian AT darkblak DOT demon DOT co DOT uk Dark Black Software Ltd. | WWW: http://www.darkblak.demon.co.uk The Home of MrDebug | Dark Knight BBS & Fax: +44 (0)1480 471465 (THE Clipper debugger) | Tel: +44 (0)1480 403104 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Turnpike evaluation. For information, see http://www.turnpike.com/