From:	MERC::"uunet!WKUVX1.BITNET!MacroMan" 23-MAR-1993 09:00:12.36
To:	MACRO32@WKUVX1.BITNET
CC:	
Subj:	RE: How to intercept keystrokes while in DCL

In article <930322081847.707@VESTA.SUNQUEST.COM>, <GAVRON@VESTA.SUNQUEST.COM>
 writes:
>         Anyway, the answer to your question is that you need to
>         patch DCL, otherwise you have no way of knowing if the
>         keystroke you intercept is for DCL or an application.

Ohhhh, I dunno.  Not if you intercept between the typeahead buffer and the
terminal driver read buffer.

Hint:  IRP$B_RMOD.

You still don't know whether it's a DCL command or input to something like
REQUEST or READ SYS$INPUT, though.

> [...]
> In other words, your command-line-completion routine
> needs to know DCL inside and out.

This problem still remains, however.

Personally I think it would make more sense to build a character-cell-capable
visual shell.  I'll bet you could build something that most programmers would
be happy with and eliminate about 90% of the need for manually-typed DCL
commands.

        --- Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Systems, San Diego CA
drivers, internals, networks, applications, and training for VMS and Windows NT
uucp 'g' protocol guru and release coordinator, VMSnet (DECUS uucp) W.G., and
Chair, Programming and Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VMS Systems SIG
Internet:  jeh@cmkrnl.com  Uucp: uunet!cmkrnl!jeh  CIS: 74140,2055