%!
% Date: Tue, 21 Feb 89 17:21:27 EST
% To: NeWS-makers@brillig.umd.edu
% Subject: Re: Sun Terminal & Executive Prompt.
% From: leah!rpi!pawl.rpi.edu!deven@csd4.milw.wisc.edu  (Deven Corzine)
% 
% In article <21145.8902131122@isgcl.cs.reading.ac.uk> Anthony.D.Worrall@reading.ac.UK writes:
% > Is it possible to set a prompt in the psh executive mode? Laser writers
% >use a prompt and it makes things so much more user friendly.
% 
% Yes, indeed.  This is one of the many changes I have in my user.ps.
% There is a slight bug in the input handling that will cause problems
% if you try to type a literal string with a newline in it. In other
% words:
% 
% PS> (this is
% PS> a string)
% 
% will not work correctly.  (it will put (this is) on the stack and try
% to execute "a", "string", and ")"...)  Aside from that, there is no
% limit to input line length.  Here is the relevant code from my user.ps:
% 
% --------------------------------------------------------------------------

systemdict /prompt {(PS> ) print flush} put

systemdict /executive { % - => - (Execute current file)
   countdictstack 1 eq {100 dict begin} if % make sure there is a userdict
   (Welcome to NeWS Version ) print version print (\n) print
   /execfile currentfile dup null eq {pop (%stdin) (r) file} if def
   {
      {
         execfile status not { quit } if
         {
            {
               prompt
               ()
               {
                  execfile 256 string readline pop
                  dup length 256 eq not {append exit} if
                  append
               } loop % get a line of input, without size restrictions
               cvx exec } loop
         } stopped pop
         execfile status not { quit } if
         ExecutiveErrorHandler
      } loop
   } stopped { quit } if
} put

% --------------------------------------------------------------------------
% 
% As in the Adobe implementation, you can change the prompt globally with:
% 
% systemdict /prompt {(NeWS> ) print flush} put
% 
% to change the default prompt to "NeWS> " or you could use:
% 
% /prompt {(NeWS> ) print flush} def
% 
% to change it locally, for a single psh.  The whole setup works rather
% nicely.  I gave this change along with some others to gregm@sun.com a
% while back; maybe it will make it into a later release.  I have yet to
% get around to fixing the string problem, but aside from that, it seems
% ok.  Try it, you'll like it.  :-)
% 
% Deven
% --
% ------- shadow@pawl.rpi.edu ------- Deven Thomas Corzine ---------------------
% Cogito  shadow@acm.rpi.edu          2346 15th Street            Pi-Rho America
% ergo    userfxb6@rpitsmts.bitnet    Troy, NY 12180-2306         (518) 272-5847
% sum...     In the immortal words of Socrates:  "I drank what?"     ...I think.
%