Conference noted::hackers_v1

541.0. "USING UP/DOWN ARROWS IN CODE" by YODA::TRABUCCHI () Mon Aug 31 1987 17:52

    Hello,
    
    	I have a problem that maybe some of you can help me with.  I
    am writing a recall feature for the Vax DIagnostic supervisor
    which runs in two modes :  over VMS and standalone (console).
    
    Presently the supervisor has a routine to read keyboard input
    (standalone) and it then parses the input line.  But I am
    trying to detect the esscape sequences in the parsing routine.
    
    The problem:  the up and down arrows already give the previous
    command while doing the read input routine and it never gets
    to the parsing routine.  I have checked the read input routine
    and it seems to take no action on the up and down arrow keys.
    
    Is the terminal buffer being automatically displayed when the
    up and down arrows are hit?  How do I detect the arrow editing
    keys without using any VMS IO routines??
    
    I think I am somehow missing a piece of my conceptual puzzle.
    Can you help?  Thanx in advance.
    
    
    						Bob
    

    The arrow keys are detected by the VMS terminal driver and
    perform the recall; if the Diagnostic Supervisor uses the VMS terminal
    driver (which it would be doing if you were testing online), then
    you will only see the arrow keys if you set the user terminal
    /NOLINE_EDIT. Using the terminal driver, you can also do the read
    using the NORECALL modifier [TRM$M_NORECALL ?] (you may need to use
    the itemlist format read to use this; I can't recall).
    
    If you are running standalone, without the VMS terminal driver,
    you'll have to do the recall and parsing of the cursor keys
    on your own, but I guess that's what you are trying to do
    in the first place..
    	-Rick