> Problem
>
> How do I write a portable Forth program that reacts to key presses of
> cursor keys (and possibly other keys not represented by ASCII), e.g., an
> editor?

I think of applications in three basic groups:
embedded
mobile/PDA
desktop

This proposal is firmly in the desktop arena. IMHO it introduces
unspecified linkages between KEY, KEY? and ACCEPT and EKEY,
EKEY? and EKEY>CHAR. These linkages need to be explicit
(defined). Note that the original definition of EKEY talks about
"keyboard events".

I suspect that the proposal is feasible because most desktops
use the same keyboard mechanisms - common hardware chips?
However, for embedded and mobile apps, we (MPE) will just ignore
the proposal. Part of the reason for this is that any standards
wordlist implies to clients that this wordlist must/should be
present. In the mobile and embedded domains, I am not yet
convinced that this proposal is useful. In the destop domain it
is useful.

I believe that this proposal needs more work in two areas:
1) domain specificity
2) the assumptions and linkages with EKEY.

I don't see any problems with domain specific proposals, only in
their labelling.

The danger in the EKEY assumptions lies in inadvertently
disenfranchising embedded apps. Although such apps are rearely
directly portable, MPE reuses a lot of code (including keypad
drivers) that is only changed at the lowest levels for each
port.

Stephen
--
Stephen Pelc, stephen@...
MicroProcessor Engineering Ltd - More Real, Less Time
133 Hill Lane, Southampton SO15 5AF, England
tel: +44 (0)23 8063 1441, fax: +44 (0)23 8033 9691
web: http://www.mpeforth.com - free VFX Forth downloads