[Info-vax] VMS Features I Wish Linux Had

[David Froble]

VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> In article <njphlo$sa6$1 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>> On 2016-06-14 12:35, VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>> In article <njoicg$lv7$2 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>>>> On 2016-06-13 21:36, VAXman- at SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>>>> In article <njmdvo$vo0$1 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
>>>>>> On 2016-06-13 14:59, Bob Koehler wrote:
>>>>>>> In article <njeel9$fq3$1 at dont-email.me>, "John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw at qsl.net_work> writes:
>>>>>>>> One issue with the VMS terminal line editing is because it is handled in
>>>>>>>> the driver, it does not have access to the filesystem to allow it to do
>>>>>>>> filename completion.
>>>>>>>    Which belongs in the CLI, not the terminal driver.  The CLI should be
>>>>>>>    doing it's own command line editing,instead of leaning on the limited
>>>>>>>    editing in the driver.
>>>>>> I don't agree. I want command line editing, no matter if I'm at the CLI,
>>>>>> or in some user application. And I do not consider it to be a good
>>>>>> system design that every program should include their own version of
>>>>>> commmand line editing.
>>>>> In VMS, what do you think processes command lines?  Assuming you're using
>>>>> the VMS CLI callback in yor program(s).  If it's just stupid unix-line -X
>>>>> switches, etc., then you're on your own.
>>>> Uh... What if I do a read in my program...? How would CLI editing come
>>>> into play there? Are you suggesting that all terminal I/O should be done
>>>> by callbacks to the CLI instead of issuing a QIO?
>>> Explain?  A 'read' of what? ...from where?
>> A read of a string, from a terminal, to a program.
>>
>> In BASIC:
>>
>> LINPUT FOO$
>>
>> In MACRO-11:
>>
>> QIOW$S  #IO.RLB,#TILUN,#TIEFN,,#IOSB,,<#BUF,#BUFSIZ>
>>
>> In C:
>>
>> fgets(buffer, bufsiz, stdin);
>>
>> In FORTRAN-77:
>>
>>     READ(5,10) STR
>> 10  FORMAT(1A80)
>>
>>
>> It should not be that hard to get. ;-)
> 
> And those things don't work?  Sure they do but where is there any implication
> that you should be able to edit the input in those?
> 

Well, I had this simple program laying around, and used it as an example.

10      Input "Temp F"; t
         GoTo 99 Unless t <> 0.

         c = ( t - 32 ) * 5 / 9
         Print c

         GoTo 10

99      End

Ready

run
TEMP    14-JUN-2016 18:24

Temp F? 123
DFE90A::DFE 18:24:13 BASIC     CPU=00:00:01.28 PF=2638 IO=789 MEM=1140
Temp F? 423
  217.222

Note, I typed 123, then a ^T to get on a new line to leave the 123 there, then 3 
left arrows and a 4.  The data ended up being 423.  Is that what's being asked?