Hi
 
  Thanks to Tom Emerson for detail input on the MPEX print and possible
  reason of why this problem is not reported from 'end' users.
 
  As Jeff Vance put it rightly,  the approach we are looking for is: "a solution
  that meets most of your most important needs, is simple to understand, simple
  to document, simple to implement, simple to support".
 
  We will consider your inputs on saving the users from hitting <BREAK> key.
 
Thanks and regards,
 
Gopi ([log in to unmask])
 
> >>  Having said that, how important is it to have the non-printable character
> >>  filtering option?. Our SR back log does not show any request on this issu
e.
> >>  So, I guess no one felt a real need for this.
> >
> >That's probably because there's another mechanism for doing this:
> >FCOPY...;CHAR. It would be nice if PRINT did this so that if a user
> >accidentally PRINTs, say, the object program instead of the source code the
> >terminal doesn't end up in upside-down blinking-bell mode with the keyboard
> >locked. On the other hand, the functionality exists elsewhere so it might
> >be better not to overload PRINT with it.
>
> The trouble with this is that it is a really nice feature that "end" users never
> really ask for -- just techies and power users, all of whom have developed some
> other workaround anyway.  When this enhancement was suggested for the MPEX print
> command, I was one of the ones who pushed for a "garbage print" formatting
> option.  Instead of getting an easy-to-use parameter of the print command, such
> as:
>
>     print myfile;gigo
>
> we were told this was being put into the new "format=" capability.  Great! I
> thought, just a slight modification of the above to:
>
>     print myfile;format=gigo
>
> would be all that's involved!  Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit more
> complex than that, and the final released version looks something like this:
>
>     print myfile;format=strwrite(r:'garbage')
>
> As you can see, implementation was radically different than the
> inspiration, but it gets the job done.  Like HP, the Vesoft database of
> requests had few (if any) actual requests for this, so there was
> reluctance on the part of the decision makers to include it because it
> wasn't solving a problem users were having. (That is to say, it wasn't
> a problem people were REPORTING that they were having...)
>
> Perhaps because of the ability to accomplish this with FCOPY;CHAR or
> Qedit's LIST command with $CHAR option, the people who needed this
> weren't denied the ability to do so.  However FCOPY requires several
> additional (parameters and) characters to type (unless you use a UDC)
> AND generates an unwanted header line while Qedit requires running a
> program just to get your listing with garbage characters neatly printed
> (unless you use Qedit as your "shell", a technique I've never really
> mastered...)
>
> While MPEX doesn't apply the above formatting string automatically,
> users can set it as a "default" so that the aforementioned "accidental
> printing" of the incorrect file won't leave you leaping for the <BREAK>
> key.
>
>
> - --
> Tom Emerson
> [log in to unmask] (here)
> [log in to unmask] (preferred)
>
>
> ------- End of forwarded message -------