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Conference 44.370::system_management

Title:system management communications forum
Moderator:CHEST::THOMPSON
Created:Fri Mar 21 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jul 08 1993
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:490
Total number of notes:2018

228.0. "ALL-IN-1 machines & multi-national characters" by YARD::ADDLETON () Mon Apr 17 1989 18:39

    I would like to ask here why the SHAPES:: cluster doesn't support
    the use of multinational characters.  I send a reasonable amount
    of E-mail to the continent, and some characters are difficult to
    type (see below), others are just impossible!
                      
    I did some investigating (I used ALL-IN-1 BEV for some time, and
    had no problem getting these characters from an English account),
    and discovered the following:
    
    The only reason that these characters cannot be typed is the VMS
    terminal line setting.  A DCL SHOW TERMINAL (& I'd rather not get
    into another argument about the numerous ways to get to DCL from
    ALL-IN-1 - I used to work with an ALL-IN-1 & End-user tools support
    group for IS GY) shows the terminal line set to NOEIGHTBIT as a
    VMS setting.  Setting this to EIGHTBIT allows multi-national characters
    as per the normal <Compose>x, x.
    
    I guess either this setting is being deliberately applied, or there
    is _not_ a SET TERM/INQUIRE in the SYLOGIN.
    
    I spoke to the hotline about this, but the work-around is not that
    nice.
    
    For example to get a �, instead of "<compose>l-" (3 keys), I must 
    type (in WPSPLUS only) "L-" then <left arrow>, <gold>D.  This is 5
    characters typing & is also _case sensitive_ - the L must be upper
    case!  As for characters like � (the sharp S), they are just not
    available.       
    
    So, what I would like to know is if anyone knows if there is a reason
    why only the ALL-IN-1 machine here are set this way (maybe a weakness
    of Corporate ALL-IN-1 against the BEV version), or is it just an
    oversight! 
    
    Cheers,
    
    Glenn (Who hates appearing any more "ignorant" to our European cousins
           than he has to due to natural "talent" :^) )
    
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228.1HEWIE::RUSSELLVAX(tm) - Britain&#039;s best selling vacuum cleaner.Tue Apr 18 1989 10:2610
re .0

Glenn, I don't know why this is the case - it certainly sounds "unusual"
to me, after we spent millions of dollars developing multi-national
characters and terminals not to be able to use them.

I suggest you pop round and see your friendly CCG (Crescent Consultants
Group), and we'll do what we can to help.

Peter.
228.2... in progress....INCH::ADDLETONTue Apr 18 1989 13:219
    Just for everyone's info (who might be interested).
    
    Peter Russell has kindly volunteered to take up this issue with
    the IS group, so with any luck we might have a solution in the not-too
    distant future.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Glenn
228.3CHEST::DAGLESSThe life of BryanWed Apr 19 1989 13:437
    
.0>    I guess either this setting is being deliberately applied, or there
.0>    is _not_ a SET TERM/INQUIRE in the SYLOGIN.
    
	A simple solution to this, is to use the 'COM' option to create
	a personal login.com containing the above command. It has not caused
	any problems to me.
228.4Expansion on .3CURRNT::BRUNNOCKTry switching it on ...Thu Apr 20 1989 11:3090
    Quick expansion on -.1

    From the SHAPES ALL-IN-1 main menu enter

    PF

    to get the Programming Functions menu and then

    VM

    to get the VMS File Maintenance menu. Enter

    C

    to create a file and, when the enquiry form comes up, fill it as follows.

    Default Directory :	SYS$LOGIN:
    File 1            : LOGIN.COM
    File 2            :

    You are then placed in the editor. Enter the following line in the
    editor.

    $ SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE

    and press <PF1>F (<GOLD>F).

    No logout (using the EX option) and log back in again and you can use
    the compose sequences. Please do NOT enter enything else in this file
    except the SET TERMINAL/INQUIRE command as quite a few things make
    ALL-IN-1 sick. The LOGIN.COM files are also frequently checked to make
    sure people aren't violating security. Violation of the security
    process means removal of the account and, at least, a severe reprimand.

    On a lighter note, do you know that there is a Technical Character Set
    available under ALL-IN-1 which has some really neat characters (Greek
    characters, mathematical functions, etc.)? To have a look at what is
    available, do the following :

    From the Word Processing menu in ALL-IN-1, enter

    UD

    for the User Defined Processing option. Then enter

    C

    to create a UDP with a name of LIBRARY. When the editor appears, press the

    <PF1>G (or <GOLD>G)

    keys to get the Get Menu. Enter

    VMS

    at the menu and type in the file name

    OA$LIB:LIBRARY.UDP

    and press RETURN.

    When ALL-IN-1 has finished getting the file, press

    <PF1>F (or <GOLD>F)

    to exit. Press

    <KeyPad 0>

    to return to the Word Processing Menu and then press

    <PF1>U (or <GOLD>U)

    and, at the bottom of the screen, you are asked for the UDP name. Enter

    LIBRARY

    and press RETURN. ALL-IN-1 goes away and sets up a few documents in a
    folder called LIBRARY which allow you to examine, using the editor,
    what Technical Character Set (TCS) symbols are available and which keys
    on the keyboard are associated with them.

    When editing a document, to get a TCS character, press the F11 (or ESC)
    key and then the keyboard key associated with the character that you
    want (see one of the documents created by the LIBRARY UDP activities
    for a list of these keys and what they represent).

    Any problems/questions, call me on x.4416.

    Andy
228.5Problem solved (for me anyway)!INCH::ADDLETON4 sale - old Galasphere, reg 347Thu Apr 27 1989 19:0217
>    	A simple solution to this, is to use the 'COM' option to create
>	a personal login.com containing the above command. It has not caused
>	any problems to me.

    Re: .3 & .4
    
    Thanks - this works fine! (I feel pretty silly for not thinking of
    it for myself actually, oh well :-{ )         
    
    All's well that ends well - I can get my proper characters now!
    
    Re: .4 - yes I know about the tech character set, but don't really
    have a lot of use for it in my general mail.
    
    Thanks all for your help!
    
    Glenn