RE:

> That's most likely what we'll do now: create an optional switch, but have the
> default setting set to having destructive backspace on. We're trying to
> design QCTerm not for the long-term ("old-fogey" :-) user, but for the
> average person who is well familiar with other PC programs. However, we
> certainly don't want to break anything and we want it to be useful to
> everyone.

well, that's a contradiction :)
If they're familiar with PC based terminal emulators, they'll expect
the default to be non-destructive backspace.  It really is that simple.

> It's important to separate out what's a "feature" and what was a historical
> consequence of other design constraints. Early HP3000's were incapable of
> supporting typeahead, and thus there was advantage to putting typeahead into

Say, rather, that they *didn't* support typeahead...as general purpose
computers, they certainly *could have* supported it...if HP had wanted to.

> Typeahead should be done only in the HP3000's input buffer, not in the
> client. That's where it can be done reliably and simply. There are situations
> where client-based typeahead gets substantially confused. And if it should

And situations where host-based gets confused, I suspect.
Telamon's typeahead engine was the best example of what was fundamentally
a client-based typeahead...and it rarely got "confused".

> David Gale writes:
>
> > Also, I use terminal emulation to do lots of dial-in. And this is when I
...
> Boy, I hate to keep disappointing people, but old-style HP3000-based
> DTC-connected serial modem connections are simply going to become
> increasingly rare. In the future, if serial connections are used, they will
> be into a RAS server connected to the organization's internal network.

That may be, but a lot of us face reality: the overwhelming majority of
outside HP 3000s that I have to access from here have only one form
of access: dial up.  This runs the gamut from Classics to very large,
very new, N-Class HP e3000s systems.  Something to consider.

Stan



Stan Sieler                                           [log in to unmask]
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html          www.allegro.com/sieler

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