Subject: Re: wscons termcap entry
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@weird.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 07/03/2002 23:23:14
[ On Wednesday, July 3, 2002 at 17:34:14 (-0700), Jason R Thorpe wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: wscons termcap entry
>
> It also uses termcap, which is inherently extensible, while terminfo is
> not.

That's not strictly true, at least not of "terminfo" as a concept for
describing terminal capabilities.  It is no more and no less
"extensible" than termcap at the same level.  What's not extensible is
the ncurses internal representation of terminfo data.  I.e. the
non-extensibilty of ncurses' terminfo is an implementation detail, not
an inherent limit in terminfo.

IMNSHO, i.e. having written and maintained hundreds of complex terminal
descriptions in both formats, I would have to say terminfo is,
conceptually speaking, miles and years ahead of termcap.

On the other hand I've been told ncurses is perfectly happy to run with
just a plain old BSD-style termcap file -- it just uses getcap() after
all.

We've been through all this before, IIRC....  :-)

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <g.a.woods@ieee.org>;           <woods@robohack.ca>
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