Re: [Monotone-devel] Re: colored diffs [Was: [PATCH] parent selector 'p:xxx']

[Ethan Blanton]

Zack Weinberg spake unto us the following wisdom:
> On 10/8/07, Ethan Blanton <address@hidden> wrote:
> > > It's a good idea but you need to be careful how you implement it.
> > > Hardwiring VT220 color control codes would be bad.  So would making us
> > > depend on ncurses.
> >
> > ncurses is far less odious than boost -- most systems actually *have*
> > ncurses, and it doesn't kick compilation times into the stratosphere,
> > either.  ;-)
> 
> Well, probably it wouldn't be much trouble, but I must point out that
> GNU ls manages to have optional colorized output without depending on
> ncurses (however, I have no idea how that feature works).

GNU ls hardwires VT220 color codes, and there is a list of acceptable
TERM names for which it is used.  I think it consults COLORTERM as
well, but I'm not sure -- I'd have to check the documentation.

> > > I'd suggest a set of Lua hooks that know the necessary escape
> > > sequences for the most common TERM= settings (xterm, etc) and can
> > > query the 'tput' utility for less common ones.  You could also use
> > > this to get at the line-drawing characters for
> > > asciik...
> >
> > Down this path lies madness.  You're reinventing terminfo.
> 
> Not so - it's just a more arms-length version of the code we would
> write if we used ncurses directly.

The tput part is -- which is slow, but correct.  The other part is the
reinventing terminfo bit.  ;-)  It also makes the assumption that
TERM=foo means the same thing in every location, which it may or may
not.

I guess I really don't see ncurses as a problem, but maybe I'm too
old-fashioned.  ;-)

Ethan

-- 
The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws [that have no remedy
for evils].  They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor
determined to commit crimes.
                -- Cesare Beccaria, "On Crimes and Punishments", 1764

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