On Mon, 14  Sep 1992 15:23:54 CDT  Natalie Maynor <[log in to unmask]>
said:
 
>What extra keystrokes?  I normally use a macro for  the address. I can't
>see that any extra keystrokes are involved in mail.
 
1. 'tell lsv command', wait, reply arrives on your screen.
 
2. Assuming you use  an editor for sending mail, rather  than the 'cat >'
   like mode:  'mail lsv', wait,  'command', exit sequence,  confirm that
   you want  to send now,  wait, *beep*  new mail arrived,  'mail', wait,
   then whatever the command is that shows the message text.
 
UGA is a pretty fast server, even with unix there is no problem of having
the output  messing up your  screen if you just  wait the few  seconds it
takes the  answer to come  back. The problem is  that on YOUR  machine it
takes much more than the standard 2 x 5 sec.
 
>The main  reason I'm replying  is to ask  another question. What  do you
>mean  by "presenting"  interactive messages?  I'm just  curious, as  I'm
>assuming others may be.
 
It depends  on the environment  you work in  and the application  you are
running. If I edit a file on VMS,  there is a message window in which the
message shows, I can review it later if I miss the message. At the prompt
the message is printed on a new line and my command input is redisplayed.
With VM,  at the prompt  the message goes to  the output window  which is
totally separate from the input window and causes no confusion, on a line
on its own of course. In CMS  fullcrap mode you get a cute message window
popping up, some people  like that, I hate having to  do something to the
silly window to  get rid of it  and recover the pixels  - especially when
some idiot is sending me messages  every 5 seconds. Fortunately that mode
is optional. When  editing files without SET FULLSCREECH  ON, the message
is displayed when you hit RETURN or  a function key, on a freshly cleared
screen. There  are all sorts  of applications  on both systems  which can
pre-format  or   filter  these   messages  and   display  them   in  more
sophisticated ways. In no case is the message printed right in the middle
of what your  were doing, overlaying existing  text and so on.  I am sure
unix is  in theory capable of  doing better than that,  but unfortunately
that is what happens in practice, and another reason why unix people hate
TELL.
 
  Eric