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From: putnam@steinmetz.UUCP (jefu)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: Pagination in TTY driver
Message-ID: <275@steinmetz.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 18:30:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: steinmet.275
Posted: Wed Sep 25 18:30:34 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Sep-85 06:57:23 EDT
References: <2067@ucf-cs.UUCP> <363@cuae2.UUCP> <2423@sun.uucp> <5937@utzoo.UUCP> <147@cybavax.UUCP>
Reply-To: putnam@kbsvax.UUCP (jefu)
Organization: GE CRD, Schenectady, NY
Lines: 34
Keywords: no, uh uh.

In article <147@cybavax.UUCP> rartym@cybavax.UUCP (Richard Artym) writes:
>
>Goodness!  All this time you poor souls have been using tty handlers
>without built-in pagination? ...
>                             ...this is the normal state of affairs,
>the solution should be provided by default.  Where and how it's
>implemented is a separate issue, although most will agree that for
>efficiency and simplicity the best place to put the code is in the
>tty handler...

Most, perhaps.  Historically, perhaps.  

Pagination should be implemented in the terminal.  Silicon is
cheap enough these days to put a lot of smarts in even an inexpensive
terminal.   But even there it should be programmable by the user.  

Lacking that, i think that the best place to but pagination and such is
between the process and the terminal.  It would be nice to be able to 
specify (somehow) a filter that all output went through on its way
to /dev/tt???.  Then i could make my own pagination (or lack thereof)
sit in there and do what i want it to.  

It does not (!) belong in the low level driver.  I think that there
may well be too much going on there now.  If you have a choice between
putting the code in the driver and leaving it out for a user level program,
opt for the latter.  That way it can be more easily changed by someone
who wants something different.  

My philosophy boils down to :
    "When in doubt, leave it out -- of the kernel at least"
-- 
               O                      -- jefu
       tell me all about              -- UUCP: edison!steinmetz!putnam
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