Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
Path: gmd.de!xlink.net!howland.reston.ans.net!pipex!sunic!uts!news.daimi.aau.dk!aau!joedal
From: joedal@dfi.aau.dk (Lars Joedal)
Subject: Re: ITF/PInfocom questions..
Message-ID: <joedal.751735189@dfi.aau.dk>
Sender: news@aau.dk
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Organization: Aarhus University, Denmark
References: <2ahqp4$g97@apple.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1993 15:19:49 GMT
Lines: 34

unknown@apple.com (Matt Ackeret) writes:

>	Is there any way to compile either of these so the status line doesn't
>annoyingly erase/redraw after every line of text?  (That is, so it would 
>scroll lines 2-24, and not scroll line 1)

I don't see any reason why this should not be possible.  At least the
ITF interpreter calls a user function for each char to output (probably
PInfocom does the same, but I haven't checked).  This function does a
few checks to catch special characters and does the proper output.  To
stop the status line from scrolling this routine should output a scroll-
line-2-to-24 escape sequence instead of any newline character.
   The possibility of an upper and a lower window (a feature used only
in a few of the games) complicates this a bit, but the basic principle
is the same.

In particular, that's how I did it in the Atari ST port of the ITF
interpreter.  The source code for this can be found at the IF archive:
ftp.gmd.de: /if-archive/infocom/interpreters/itf/atari.itf-src.zoo
(and the mirror archive at wuarchive.wustl.edu: mirrors/if-archive/...
In zoo archive, look for the file ATARI_IO.C, the procedure vt52_putchar.

Sounds awfully complicated to me when I now read it.  Anybody interested
in the procedure can mail me and I'll send it to them.  But there is
nothing fancy about it.

+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Lars J|dal                | Q: What's the difference between a quantum |
| email: joedal@dfi.aau.dk  |    mechanic and an auto mechanic?          |
| Physics student at the    | A: A quantum mechanic can get his car into |
| University of Aarhus      |    the garage without opening the door.    |
| Denmark                   |                    -- David Kra            |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+

