🚀 go-pugleaf

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Grade of Delivery:  Normal
Application message id:  TI.MSG.174966

From:     Surname:    Ward
          Givenname:  Chris
          Country:    US
          ADMD Name:  MCI
          PRMD Name:  TI

TO:       Surname:    postmaster
          Country:    us
          ADMD Name:  mci
          DDA: MBX =  bug-gnu-emacs(a)prep.ai.mit.edu
          DDA: EMS =  internet


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TO      bug-gnu-emacs   /admd=mci/c=us/pn=postmaster/ems=internet//

                        /mbx1=bug-gnu-emacs@prep.ai.mit.edu
FROM    Chris Ward      Texas Instruments
                        admd=mci prmd=ti c=us id=4418566
 
SUBJECT  Enhancements to Dired
 
I have been working for some time now porting GNU Emacs (18.55) to various
machines.  Many of the systems were trivial given the pre-existing config
files, but I did make some changes and had to create others.  If you are
interested I could send you these files.  The systems I am running on are:
 
        TI 1500         680x0 based running System Vr3
        Sun 3           SunOS 3.5 - 4.1
        Sun 4           SunOS 3.5 - 4.1
        Convex C2       OS Version 8.1
        SCO Xenix       TI version 3.2
        SCO Unix 386    Unix System V/386 Release 3.2
 
I have also done some extensive work in defining standard keymappings for
the terminals we use.  This includes mapping most used Emacs functions to
terminal function keys and maintaining consistency across platforms and
keyboard variations as much as possible.  I have also developed a simple
menu/prompting interface.  The function key mappings and menus are a great
help to the large number of non-technical users here.  We have found that
without this many users new to Unix thought of Emacs like a big vi!  We
are coming to the end of our Beta test on these soon.  If you think they
may be of use, I can send you the files.
 
Finally, I have also greatly enhanced the Dired feature to add in some of
the functionality I have found in MS DOS directory managers like PFM. This
makes traversal of directories a breeze and eliminates the need for our
new Unix users to learn all the file management command syntax before they
can get anything done.  In addition to adding single file commands for copy,
rename, delete, link, print, find, modify, execute and such, I have also
added multiple file processing to perform these functions on a user select-
able list of files.  The whole thing is a "point and shoot" approach which
newer users really like.  Combined with the power and quality of Emacs, it
makes for a very powerful yet simple productivity tool.  Our Beta test for
this is nearly complete and I noticed it was on the TO-DO list so I thought
I would offer it to you guys to pass along in future releases.
 
I was thinking of working on the character inverse-video-ness feature and
tinkering with the X windows interface soon but wanted to check to see if
anyone else is working these yet.  If so, let me know.  I'd hate to reinvent
the wheel.  I am really impressed with GNU Emacs.  We compared it with a
number of other products and it really stood out head and shoulders above
the rest.
 
        Regards,
        Chris Ward