word processor history -- interesting article (Evan Koblentz)

[Mouse]

>>> [...] and directly write ANSI sequences, it'll just work.
>> (a) That is not my experience.
> I did acknowledge (but it was snipped in your reply---it's the
> missing footnote).

True enough.

> I've also checked the xterm use of DCS.  I *still* don't understand
> where you would use those particular sequences.

_I_ wouldn't, since I don't use xterm.  My terminal emulator has a much
richer DCS command language, allowing things like requesting window
resize, or opening another window (displaying elsewhere) onto the same
emulator.

DCS is basically the escape hatch to device-speific functionality.

> I've also come across plenty of libraries and modules (for various
> langauges) that use raw ANSI sequences to color things when they
> "technically" should be using the Termcap Sf and Sb
> capabilities---those scuflaws!  Touting non-portable behavior like
> that!

Well, technically, there is no such thing as ANSI colour.  The colour
sequences are ISO-defined extension arguments to ANSI's SGR sequence.

But, yes, I've seen that too, most often with Linux.  It is EXTREMELY
annoying to type ls and see

[0m[01;34mdir[0m  file  [01;36mlink[0m  [01;32mpgm[0m

It's even more annoying when other things - eg, vi - understand the
terminal type correctly set in $TERM, but things like ls insist on
assuming not only without evidence but in the presence of evidence to
the contrary that the display device can handle ISO-extended X3.64 SGR.

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