Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

1035.0. "Wishlist Item for Terminal Widget" by ILO::SMYTH () Thu Jun 29 1989 06:32

I have been using a workstation for nearly four years, it used to run
    VWS and now I use Decwindows. Although there are lots of nice
    applications like Decwrite and Calendar which use workstation WIMPS
    interfaces, one of the most used widgets for me is the VT220 emulator.
    
    I use All-in-1 mail, Vaxmail, Notes, EDT, RDB, Teamdata and lots
    of other terminal based applications. I know lots of people like
    me who use workstations to access terminal based applications
    principally because they can have several open at the same time
    on the same window.
    
    It struck me that there a really useful facility that could be added
    to the terminal editor...which wouldn't take a lot of work and would
    be a real boon to ordinary people like me who don't know how to
    program function keys and couldn't be bothered wading through VMS
    manuals and VT220 programmers manuals for the hex codes for keys.
    
    Why not have a pull down menu item called "Learn Key Sequence"
    This would simply record the sequence of keys pressed until you
    selected "Stop Learning" from the pull down menu.
    You would then get a dialog which allowed you to create a Pull down
    menu item for the sequence you have just recorded and also select
    a Function key to assign the sequence to. You should also be able
    to select whether the new item is to be "Permanant" (ie. available
    on any terminal windows you create from that point) or "Temporary"
    (ie. it will be available for the life of that window and forgotten
    afterwards)
    
    With this kind of facility I could create an interface which simplified
    the access to the MAXCIM shop floor production control system which
    requires many keystrokes just to get to the module I want to use.
    Or I could create a menu item to "Delete Junk Mail from All-In-1"
    which would walk through the key sequence of
    
    	RN <return>
    	<Keypad 0> 
    	D <Return>
    	
    repeatedly with a press of a single Fkey or the pull of a single
    down menu. (I had to repeat this sequence 40 times this morning
    just to get rid of a lot of unread and unreadable junk mail in All
    in 1)
    
    Would somebody like to place this functionality on the wishlist
    for the Decwindows Terminal Widget.
    
    (PS. Keep it simple, forget editable sequences and all that kind
    of fancy stuff...I have Tempo II on a Mac and the only way I ever
    use it is to record a sequence which is played back exactly the
    same...if I need to change it I record a new one !)
    
    JOhn

    Of course this is already possible through the dcl command DEFINE/KEY.
    
    Anyhow, the appropriate conference for this request is
    HANNAH::DECW$DISK:[PUBLIC]DECTERM, press KP7/Select to add to your
    notebook.
    
    - ���

    .0
    	Yes your are absolutely right about the request. Our terminal
    emulators & other products should have something like that. ALL WITH 
    SAME INTERFACE. I am not sure how familiar you are with Mac, but Mac has 
    similar thing called MacroMaker. It has a really simple & graphical 
    interface. Interface is very close to what you described. 
    Robert

    re. .1
    
           2. $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 "SHOW " /SET_STATE=GOLD/NOTERMINATE/ECHO
                 %DCL-I-DEFKEY, DEFAULT key PF1 has been defined
                 $ DEFINE/KEY PF1 " DEFAULT" /TERMINATE/IF_STATE=GOLD/ECHO
         
    Do you remember all this garbage......
    
    I'm a user not a programmer.
    
    Thanks for the suggestion about the proper forum...I've just posted
    it there too.
    
    Regards 
    
    JOhn.

>    	Yes your are absolutely right about the request. Our terminal
>    emulators & other products should have something like that. ALL WITH 

The DECnet/SNA 3270 Terminal Emulator product (which emulates 
IBM terminals) has had this feature in it for years.  (Mainly
because IBM tubes have it...)

Many IBM appls are forms based, and playing back one key to run you
through some standard forms is handy.

Dan

    Few functions have caused as many notes from confused users as
    EVE's learn function. Creating "learn" sequences without
    generating a source code file is asking, no begging for confused
    users and compatibility problems. Replaying key presses is one
    thing, but replaying key stroke meaning (including key definitions
    and DCL symbol substitution) gets real hard to do correctly.
    Creating script files from menu selection may be an easier problem.

    mike