Re: P command

[cld@xxxxxxxx (Carl Distefano)]

Reply to note from Harry Binswanger  Sat, 01 Mar 2003
17:34:08 -0500

> >BC firstFF BX pQ2 BC secondFF BX pQ2 BC done
>
> Son of a gun--it works!

Yes, whenever you suspect a display refresh problem, try a well-placed
func FF.

That said, I second Chris's suggestion to use the PRompt line for
progress messages such as this. Best not to interfere with the CMline
when it's avoidable.

By the way, a more generic way than  to wipe out a program's final
PRompt is >. VA $MG captures the current PRompt-
line MessaGe, a PRompt that displays persistently in the absence of
any other error or informational message. By default, the MessaGe is
empty (nothing displays), in which case > is the
equivalent of . But if the user has set a MessaGe, it restores
it.

My default MessaGe is the current day and date. I also use the PRompt
line to display plain-text "toolbars" (command HELP TOOLBAR
for info. on how to do this). For example, when I'm reading e-mail, I
have a toolbar with Read, Reply, Next_Message, Previous_Message, and
Delete "buttons". When a program finishes executing, I'm finicky
about getting my toolbar back immediately, not after the next
keypress.

--
Carl Distefano
cld@xxxxxxxx
http://users.datarealm.com/xywwweb/