state of ghc6 on sparc

[Malcolm Wallace]

"Simon Marlow" <simonmar@microsoft.com> writes:

> > | Making a working readline isn't that simple - you need to know something
> > | about the terminal properties for one, which means being able to use
> > | termcap or terminfo.

I expect that one can avoid termcap/terminfo by sticking to ANSI
terminal control codes for moving the cursor.  It isn't as powerful,
but probably adequate.

> > But if someone produced an adequate one that did the job, and 
> > that we could distribute with GHC, we'd surely use it, right? 
> >  To avoid these perpetual readline problems.
> 
> That would probably be a good idea, yes.

As I see it, the main problem is reproducing all the keybindings.
I'm certain that every user of readline has their own habitual set
of emacs keystrokes that differs slightly from everyone elses, so
inevitably the full complement will need to be supported.  Then there
is parsing of the .inputrc file which can /re/bind any keystroke.
And of course, just to be awkward, there are vi-mode users like me,
where the keystroke set is entirely different anyway.

Regards,
    Malcolm