From: nospam.g00r00@f215.n129.z1.fidonet.org   
      
    RS> Okay, I'm doing the same/similar in my msglist module. I just render the   
    RS> ANSI to a virtual CGA-style screen buffer and then send the relevant   
    RS> portions of that buffer to the user as they scroll the message body. So   
    RS> if there's any overwriting or clearing in the ANSI, they only get/see   
    RS> the final result. This discussion inspired that enhancement, so thanks   
    RS> to Joe!   
      
   Cool stuff.  Thats basically what Mystic does.  It pre-processes everything and   
   works along the lines of something like curses.   
      
   I do the same thing for importing FILE_ID.ANS format which is something I made   
   up at some point over the years...   
      
   Mystic will render the ANSI to a local buffer to get the final result, and then   
   convert that buffer into pipe codes internally before storing it (so that it   
   shows as non-color to those who don't have it or full color for those that do   
   using existing display system)...   
      
   It can then easily be stripped of pipe codes for things like .TIC files, file   
   list compilers or whatever else may be required to not have color/codes in   
   them.  And people who create the FILE_ID.ANS don't have to worry about   
   stripping codes or doing really anything extra to make it work, it just shows   
   up the same as it does when they save it in their ANSI editor.   
      
   ... No one knows what's next, but everybody does it.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)