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

[abrsvc]

On Monday, 24 May 2021 at 14:12:55 UTC-4, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2021-05-24, David Jones <osuv... at gmail.com> wrote: 
> > 
> > I imagine read/time_out=... is using the timeout feature of the terminal driver 
> > and not timer ASTs. The timeout is a feature of the wait for interrupt function 
> > in the kernel, which is why it resets for every character entered (as well as 
> > breakthru writes).
> _If_ that is the case, then the read timeout functionality is broken 
> IMHO because that is _very_ unexpected behaviour.
> Simon. 
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP 
> Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.

I would put forth the following possibility:

What happens if the number of "messages" is sufficient to prevent the input of a response to the initial question posed to the user?  In this case, the input will fail due to lack of input which may revert the system to an unwanted state.  While this is not likely to happen, perhaps this is what was in mind when the timer was reset.

We can't know what prompted this behavior (pun intended).  However, after 40 years of working this way, we can't know if there are programs or procedures that depend on this behavior.