HIS_SET

Syntax

HIS_SET #channel

Location

History Device (Needs Pointer Environment)

The History Device is an extension to the internal QDOS routine IO.EDLIN which reads editable text input from the keyboard; IO.EDLIN is used if, for example, you use INPUT on a window - even the interpreter uses IO.EDLIN to get its commands from #0. But let’s see how the History Device alters keyboard input.

The toolkit must be loaded into Resident Procedure Memory (with RESPR) before any Jobs are started, but after the Pointer Environment and Lightning / Speedscreen (or any other drivers which alter the con_ device driver) are installed (if either of these two packages are required).

Often, if you respond to a set of questions asked by a program, the same answers crop up again and again. For example, take the SuperBASIC interpreter, if you have entered a command, it will carry it out and wait for the next command to be entered. You may find that you want to type in the same text - or something which you entered a few loops ago again.

Toolkit II and the Hotkey System install a last line recall when the <ALT><ENTER> key combination is pressed (can be configured with the Hotkey System) - this is widely accepted (it’s even supported by keyboard interfaces), but, has not proved to be very reliable or useful: recalling the last line typed generally works well, but for lines which were entered some time ago, things become easily messed up.

The History Device sits on the afore-mentioned QDOS trap and stores a specified number of entered lines for any console channel. If a program then requests input, previously entered lines can be recalled using the <↑> and <↓> keys - this is called a command line history (hence the name of the History Device).

A history for a console channel must be explicitly installed, by using the HIS_SET command. HIS_SET can only accept channel numbers which point to a con_ device, it breaks with ‘bad parameter’ if that is not the case. Once the history is installed, you will need to activate it by using the command HIS_SIZE.

Example

To install a command line history for the SuperBASIC interpreter - these lines could be added to a BOOT program:

HIS_SET #0: REMark Install a command line history for #0
HIS_SIZE #0, 40: REMark Activate history which stores 40 lines

NOTE 1

The History Device does not run on at least pre E.21 drivers of the ST/QL or STE/QL due to a bug in the IO.EDLIN trap of these drivers. History is fine for Minerva up to v1.93, although there are harmless problems with v1.96 in that the current line is not displayed before the line is altered. QView and Jochen Merz Software have been informed about these difficulties, so these may already be fixed by now.

NOTE 2

You cannot redefine the keys used for last line recall!!

SMS NOTE

The History device is built into SMSQ/E, although the HIS_… commands are not included with SMSQ/E, so in reality, you can only use the HISTORY device as a Last In First Out pipe system - see Devices Appendix. In any event the HIS_… commands do not appear to work on SMS.

CROSS-REFERENCE

A history is automatically removed when a channel is closed but removal can also be forced with HIS_UNSET. The QDOS/SMS Reference Manual contains full details of IO.EDLIN