Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

Pipes make the cursor visible

May
12,846
164
I often turn off the cursor (CURSOR plugin) in long-running BTMs designed to monitor a process. I noticed recently that a pipe instance will cause the cursor to become visible again.

With "cursor 0 & echo foo & delay 5" the cursor remains off until the prompt returns.

With "cursor 0 & echo foo | tee nul & delay 5" the cursor is visible during the delay (even with "if %_pipe == 1 cursor 0" in my tcstart.btm).

With "cursor 0 & echo foo | (cursor 0 & tee nul) & delay 5" the cursor remains off.

So it seems that somewhere after tcstart.btm, TCC does something to turn the cursor on.

Could you change that behavior so the cursor will stay off when the user wants it off. I can think of no reason to have it on in a pipe instance.
 
On 2011-03-08 19:28, vefatica wrote:

So it seems that somewhere after tcstart.btm, TCC does something to turn the cursor on.



My guess would be that it's the result of the CursorIns and
CursorOver directives in the .ini file, which will take effect
regardless of whether you execute TCStart.btm. I bet with a little
creativity you could find some way to have the session on the right
side of the pipe execute a SETDOS /S0:0 command.


-- Dan McMullin
 
---- Original Message ----
From: WavSlave
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, 2011. March 9. 00:31
Subject: RE: [Support-t-2660] Pipes make the cursor visible

| On 2011-03-08 19:28, vefatica wrote:
|
| So it seems that somewhere after tcstart.btm, TCC does something to
| turn the cursor on.
|
|
|
| My guess would be that it's the result of the CursorIns and
| CursorOver directives in the .ini file, which will take effect
| regardless of whether you execute TCStart.btm. I bet with a little
| creativity you could find some way to have the session on the right
| side of the pipe execute a SETDOS /S0:0 command.
|

Thats 'easy. In TCSTART.BTM:

if %_pipe EQ 1 setdos /s0:0
--
Steve
 
---- Original Message ----
From: WavSlave
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, 2011. March 9. 00:31
Subject: RE: [Support-t-2660] Pipes make the cursor visible

| On 2011-03-08 19:28, vefatica wrote:
|
| So it seems that somewhere after tcstart.btm, TCC does something to
| turn the cursor on.
|
|
|
| My guess would be that it's the result of the CursorIns and
| CursorOver directives in the .ini file, which will take effect
| regardless of whether you execute TCStart.btm. I bet with a little
| creativity you could find some way to have the session on the right
| side of the pipe execute a SETDOS /S0:0 command.
|

Thats 'easy. In TCSTART.BTM:

if %_pipe EQ 1 setdos /s0:0
--
Steve

That doesn't work any better than "if %_pipe == 1 cursor 0".

Code:
v:\> type d:\TCbeta\tcstart.btm
IF %_PIPE == 1 CURSOR 0
if %_pipe EQ 1 setdos /s0:0
IFF %_TRANSIENT == 1 .OR. %_PIPE == 1 THEN
        QUIT
ELSE
        TITLE ` `[%_PID]  %_CWD
ENDIFF
ECHO.
v:\> cursor 0 & echo foo & delay 5
foo

v:\> cursor 0 & echo foo | tee nul & delay 5
foo

Above, during the first delay I don't see the cursor; during the second I do see it. As I said, TCC seems to be doing something with the cursor ***AFTER*** TCSTART.

Rex, please comment and address this issue.
 
> Rex, please comment and address this issue.

This will not be changed in this version. You can submit a feature request
for the next major update.

It will definitely NOT be the default behavior, as it would be very harmful
in those cases where you *want* the cursor to appear in a pipe. (And there
are obviously a lot more of those -- or it wouldn't have taken you 20 years
to notice this!)
 
On Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:45:11 -0500, rconn <> wrote:

|---Quote---
|> Rex, please comment and address this issue.
|---End Quote---
|This will not be changed in this version. You can submit a feature request
|for the next major update.
|
|It will definitely NOT be the default behavior, as it would be very harmful
|in those cases where you *want* the cursor to appear in a pipe. (And there
|are obviously a lot more of those -- or it wouldn't have taken you 20 years
|to notice this!)

I can't think of any scenario in which I'd **want** the cursor on in a pipe
instance. Got an example? It would be more accurate to say than in 20 years,
most of the time I didn't care.


Why can't I overcome it in TCSTART? It would seem quite reasonable to respect
the user's wishes as expressed in TCSTART. Could I do it from a plugin?

It should be so simple ... I don't want to see the cursor while this BTM is
running (period!).
 
I can't think of any scenario in which I'd **want** the cursor on in a pipe instance. Got an example?

Anytime you're redirecting input to an interactive command. (Particularly an external app!)

Why can't I overcome it in TCSTART? It would seem quite reasonable to respect the user's wishes as expressed in TCSTART.

It can be reset in TCSTART, but you're probably then doing something to reset it again.

The cursor shape (and visibility) is only set in four places: (1) after the .INI file has been processed; (2) in SETDOS /S; (3) when editing an input line, and (4) when processing a ^C or ^Break.

You can make the cursor invisible by setting the size to -1 in the .INI.

Could I do it from a plugin?

Of course.

Are you trying to do this in a tab window or a console window?
 
On Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:29:30 -0500, rconn <> wrote:

|---Quote (Originally by vefatica)---
|I can't think of any scenario in which I'd **want** the cursor on in a pipe instance. Got an example?
|---End Quote---
|
|Anytime you're redirecting input to an interactive command. (Particularly an external app!)

Like what? I wouldn't miss the cursor in LIST or MORE.

|---Quote---
|Why can't I overcome it in TCSTART? It would seem quite reasonable to respect the user's wishes as expressed in TCSTART.
|---End Quote---
|
|It can be reset in TCSTART, but you're probably then doing something to reset it again.

Well here's my example again. CURSOR uses SetConsoleCursorInfo() to change
CONSOLE_CURSOR_INFO::bVisible. Below, I don't see the cursor during the first
DELAY and I do see it during the second DELAY. What am I doing to turn it on?

Code:
v:\> type d:\TCbeta\tcstart.btm
IF %_PIPE == 1 CURSOR 0
if %_pipe EQ 1 setdos /s0:0
IFF %_TRANSIENT == 1 .OR. %_PIPE == 1 THEN
        QUIT
ELSE
        TITLE ` `[%_PID]  %_CWD
ENDIFF

v:\> cursor 0 & echo foo & delay 5
foo

v:\> cursor 0 & echo foo | tee nul & delay 5
foo

|Are you trying to do this in a tab window or a console window?

In a console.

I see that pipe instances **do** (apparently) respect the SETDOS setting of the
parent (but not one specified in TCSTART). With

Code:
setdos /s0:0 & echo foo | tee nul & delay 5

I don't see the cursor during the DELAY. But it stays off and there's
apparently no way to get it back without specifying new sizes (which must have
been remembered earlier).

Perhaps in a future version, SETDOS /S could have a new option that would simple
make the cursor invisible/visible without changing its sizes.
 
---- Original Message ----
From: vefatica
| Perhaps in a future version, SETDOS /S could have a new option that
| would simple
| make the cursor invisible/visible without changing its sizes.

Or simply a new CURSOR command with identical syntax to LOADBTM: ON, OFF, or no parameter (to display current state). It should have immediate effect.
--
Steve
 
On Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:45:05 -0500, Steve Fabian <> wrote:

|---- Original Message ----
|From: vefatica
|| Perhaps in a future version, SETDOS /S could have a new option that
|| would simple
|| make the cursor invisible/visible without changing its sizes.
|
|Or simply a new CURSOR command with identical syntax to LOADBTM: ON, OFF, or no parameter (to display current state). It should have immediate effect.

Well, I could make my CURSOR plugin do that, but it's not respected in pipe
instances. Whereas, apparently, the SETDOS settings of the parent **are**
respected in pipe instances.

What I like about toggling CONSOLE_CURSOR_INFO::bVisible is that it's reset (to
visible) when the prompt returns (perfect for use in a BTM). But,
unfortunately, a pipe instance sets it back to TRUE.

Right now I'm writing an alternative CURSOR plugin ... one which uses SETDOS /S
with either "0:0" (OFF) or the values returned by QueryOptionValue() (ON). I
imagine it'll work, but after using it to make the cursor invisible, it won't
automatically become visible when a BTM ends.
 
Have you tried experimenting with the CursorIns
and CursorOver directives in the INI file?

-Scott

vefatica <> wrote on 03/11/2011
04:05:50 PM:


>
> Well, I could make my CURSOR plugin do that, but it's not respected
in pipe

> instances. Whereas, apparently, the SETDOS settings of the parent
**are**

> respected in pipe instances.
>
> What I like about toggling CONSOLE_CURSOR_INFO::bVisible is that
> it's reset (to
> visible) when the prompt returns (perfect for use in a BTM). But,
> unfortunately, a pipe instance sets it back to TRUE.
>
> Right now I'm writing an alternative CURSOR plugin ... one which
> uses SETDOS /S
> with either "0:0" (OFF) or the values returned by QueryOptionValue()
(ON). I

> imagine it'll work, but after using it to make the cursor invisible,
it won't

> automatically become visible when a BTM ends.
>
>
>
>
 
On Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:28:26 -0500, samintz <> wrote:

|Have you tried experimenting with the CursorIns
|and CursorOver directives in the INI file?

To what end?

I generally want normal behavior (a visible cursor). I'd like to be able to
make the cursor invisible/visible without messing with it's size and without
anything that being undone while a batch file is running (pipe instances undo
it). The only TCC-kosher inheritable way to hide the cursor is with "SETDOS
/S0:0" and that changes the current values of CursorIns and CursorOver. That
seems a bit archaic since Windows has for a long time allowed for making the
cursor invisible/invisible without changing its sizes.
 
... my fault all along. :-(

Although my TCSTART contained the likes of "CURSOR 0" and "SETDOS /S0:0" for pipe instances, the INI file in my beta directory had a different 4StartPath.

Using the correct TCSTART, "IF %_PIPE == 1 CURSOR 0" keeps the cursor off in pipe instances.

Rex, I'll let you know if I **ever** miss the cursor in a pipe instance.

I still think it would be a good idea if a future version implemented an inheritable TURN_THE_CURSOR_OFF without changing its sizes
 

Similar threads

Back
Top