So can we change the Ruby Library?
Sam Overdorf

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael W. Ryder [mailto:_mwryder / worldnet.att.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 5:15 PM
To: ruby-talk ML
Subject: Re: Curses

Eero Saynatkari wrote:
> On 2006.09.28 07:35, Eero Saynatkari wrote:
>> On 2006.09.28 07:30, Michael W. Ryder wrote:
>>> Eero Saynatkari wrote:
>>>> On 2006.09.28 04:25, Michael W. Ryder wrote:
>>>>> Eero Saynatkari wrote:
>>>>>> On 2006.09.27 15:45, Michael W. Ryder wrote:
>>>>>>> Eero Saynatkari wrote:
>>>>>>>> On 2006.09.27 10:35, Michael W. Ryder wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Overdorf, Sam wrote:
>>>>>>>>>> Is anyone using the Curses class?
>>>>>>>>>> Is anyone maintaining the Curses class?
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It looks like the Curses function move(y,x) is calling the
wrong 
>>>>>>>>>> library
>>>>>>>>>> routine.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> It is calling the window move function and not the cursor
positioning
>>>>>>>>>> function.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>>>> Sam Overdorf
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> According to O'Reilly's Programming with Curses "move() is
really a 
>>>>>>>>> #define macro for wmove() which takes a WINDOW* as its first 
>>>>>>>>> argument" So it appears that the library is working correctly.
>>>>>>>> #setpos x, y
>>>>>>> What flavor of Curses is this from?
>>>>>> This one:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
http://www.ruby-doc.org/stdlib/libdoc/curses/rdoc/classes/Curses.html
>>>>> The source code shows that it uses Curses' move() function which
is a 
>>>>> macro to wmove() as I described above.
>>>> No, move() moves the cursor (wmove() moves a specified window's
cursor).
>>>>
>>>> Confusingly, Ruby's Curses bindings also have a .move which
actually
>>>> uses mvwin() which moves the window itself.
>>> ALL input/output in Curses is done with windows.  The only
difference 
>>> between move() and wmove() is that move() passes the current window
to 
>>> the wmove() function.  When you first start Curses it creates a
window 
>>> and sets it as the current window.  Unless you create another window
and 
>>> change to it this window is used for all I/O.
>> Which is exactly what I said. Please review the Curses documentation.
>>
>>   http://www.die.net/doc/linux/man/man3/move.3.html
>>   http://www.die.net/doc/linux/man/man3/mvwin.3.html
>  
> And yes, Ruby's Curses.move is not the same as move(). Curses.move
> is the same as mvwin(). Curses.setpos is the same as move().
> 
> 
Having programmed using Curses with C for many years I am familiar with 
how Curses works.  As I kept pointing out move() and wmove() are the 
same function.  Why the Ruby library uses different names for the 
functions I do not know.  The mvwin() command in original Curses moves 
the top left corner of the window, not the cursor position as one would 
expect with a name like Curses.move.  Personally, if I were using the 
library I would have to rename all of the functions to their proper 
Curses representation, not some random name like seems to have been 
used.  The current names makes it impossible to use available programs 
and documentation with the Ruby library.