Number: 2059

Date:  5-Sep-84 15':55':12

Submitter: Kaplan

Source: Kaplan

Subject: Description of INTERRUPTCHAR not quite right

Assigned To: 

Attn: Documentation

Status: Open

In/By: 

Problem Type: Documentation

Impact: Moderate

Difficulty: 

Frequency: 

Priority: Hopefully

System: Operating System

Subsystem: Keyboard

Machine: 1132

Disk: 

Lisp Version: 31-Aug-84 16':17':57

Source Files: 

Microcode Version: 5124

Memory Size: 4096

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Disposition: '
["Sannella.PA" "11-Sep-84 12':31':31" Attn': Status':(New->Open) System':(->Operating% System) Subsystem':(->Keyboard)]

Description: This is a documentation and maybe also implementation problem.'
'
On p 9.17-18, the description of INTERRUPTCHAR, it says that up to 9 new interrupt channels can be defined.  I think this is only an Interlisp-10 limitiation, not Interlisp-D.  (The whole notion of "channel" is peculiar to the 10 I think, and not particularly illuminating.  Perhaps we could redescribe this concept?)  But I don''t think there is any interesting limit in D.'
'
Second, it says that when the interrupt is typed the bell is rung.  Is that the way we are describing things, given that we don''t have bells?'
'
Third, in the description of the TYP/FORM argument, it doesn''t mention CTL-T or RAID.  Do they belong their?'
'
And finally, it says that the value of INTERRUPTCHAR can be given back to INTERRUPTCHAR to restore things.  Given back as which argument?   If it is given as the CHAR argument, then it must be the case that CHAR can be other things besides a character or character code.  A list of (char type/form hardflg)?   '
'
Also my impression is that the value of INTERRUPTCHAR doesn''t really return the HARDFLG, so that the statement is not exactly true. '
'
This has to be investigated, and perhaps both the documentation or the implementation changed.

Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: Sannella.PA

Edit-Date: 11-Sep-84 12':31':31