Re: Defect in XBD 3.382_System_Console

[yyyyyyyyyy@xxxxxxx]

It can be useful to know how many characters wide lines are on the console device, in case it truncates strings that go past the right edge instead of word wraps, so application error strings can be constructed to avoid loss of data using the fmtmsg() and syslog() interfaces. Perhaps an investigation into a minimal set of characteristics required to be documented as part of the PCD should be specified instead of changing to unspecified. This could also be of use to debugging applications that wish to use the system console, where it's a separate device from the display used as the application terminal, instead of possibly sharing the devices used by an application under test.

I'm not prepared at this time to offer a counter-aardvark, but feel at least those aspects that relate to these interfaces being able to function in a usable manner should be part of the PCD and text indicating explicitly what minimum capabilities a console can be expected to have by a conforming application be added to this definition with details as part of XBD Chapters 8 & 11, and possibly Chapter 7.

Sincerely,
Mark

In a message dated 2003-08-07 10:20:07 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ajosey@xxxxxx writes:

>   Defect report from : Andrew Josey , The Open Group
>
> (Please direct followup comments direct to austin-group-l@xxxxxx)
>
> @ page 88 line 2778 section 3.382_System_Console objection {impldef}
>
> Problem:
>
> Edition of Specification (Year): 2003
>
> Defect code :  1. Error
>
> The text says that this is "an implementation-defined device".
> Use of this term requires the PCD to document the characteristics
> of the device, yet there is no benefit to portable applications to
> know the format.
>
> Action:
>
> Change "implementation-defined" to "unspecified"