[Info-vax] DCL "READ/TIME_OUT=n" from terminal; timer resets if message written to screen

[Simon Clubley]

On 2021-05-21, Scott Snadow <scott at snadow.com> wrote:
> I searched but didn't find this mentioned anywhere...
>
> If I do this:
>
> $ READ/TIME_OUT=10 SYS$COMMAND FOOBAR
>
> And while the READ is waiting for me to respond to it, if someone sends a REPLY message to my screen, or if I have a subprocess running that sends some output to my screen, the ten second timer restarts at zero again.
>

Now that is a new one on me. :-)

I wonder if this is just a DCL problem or if it's a general terminal
driver problem.

To solve your immediate problem, can you spawn/nowait a subprocess, stall
the main process for about 3-5 minutes, ask the questions in the subprocess,
and then kill the subprocess if the subprocess is still running when the
main process resumes execution ?

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.