🚀 go-pugleaf

RetroBBS NetNews Server

Inspired by RockSolid Light RIP Retro Guy

Article View: comp.unix.programmer
Article #1218

Re: CURSES: magic cookie glitch characters

#1218
From: Dave Jenks
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 1990 06:12
20 lines
1587 bytes
In article <felps.658590420@convex.convex.com> felps@convex.com (Robert Felps) writes:
>Can anyone shed some light on 'magic cookie glitch characters'?

A "magic cookie" is a byte location on a terminal screen which alters
the "current attribute[s]".

For example, to change from normal to reverse video, there would be a
byte on the screen which changes all subsequent bytes to be reverse.
To write something in that location on the screen would cancel the
reversal of the following characters.

The obvious bummer is that the entire screen cannot be used - screen/
display attributes take up space.  The *absolute worst* part is that
some terminals do it, and some don't, making tty-independent software
that much more of a pain.
-- 
=======================================================================
	    "Pro is to con, as progress is to Congress..."
>>-@@-> Dave Jenks              {uunet | ucbvax!ucdavis}!csusac!jetfuel
=======================================================================
Technical Details
Message-ID: <1990Nov15.061216.7165@csusac.csus.edu>
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!jetfuel
References: <felps.658590420@convex.convex.com>

Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!jetfuel
From: jetfuel@csusac.csus.edu (Dave Jenks)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.programmer
Subject: Re: CURSES: magic cookie glitch characters
Summary: an inconvenience and a drag
Keywords: Curses magic cookie glitch
Message-ID: <1990Nov15.061216.7165@csusac.csus.edu>
Date: 15 Nov 90 06:12:16 GMT
References: <felps.658590420@convex.convex.com>
Reply-To: jetfuel@csusac.UUCP (Dave Jenks)
Organization: California State University, Sacramento
Lines: 20