[nos-bbs] TERM questions for a telnet/node application

[Chris]

O.k. so I'm fiddling around writing some applications to be used via
linux node or telnet access within a node.

The app I wrote is a QRZ call sign looker upper as a test.

Basically it prompts for the callsign, checks for some semblance of
validity on the data, then submits it via the XML API on qrz.com.

In the shell in a terminal, the thing works perfectly.

Via telnet or spawning via linux node software, the screen is either
blank or I get a number of what I'm sure of to be TERM issues.

So the app checks for valid input reading <STDIN> ...it's perl.

Invalid input returns to the prompt right away.

It also tests for q.* anything starting with a q, to 'quit' and that
returns and exits every time cleanly.

However with a valid callsign entered, it requires two <returns> to be
submitted and when that displays the info, STDIN has a non printing
character in its buffer it seems as the next entry will first bring up
an empty query, followed by the data for the lookup returning.

Have any of you run into this trying to tie a basic text/shell
application back to node or telnet interfaces?

I've tried a variety of things...doing forced terminal resets from
within the perl app.

Setting TERM inside the app from everything from unset to ansi to
vtnt, to vt100 and vt52.  Each has its own quirks, some just blank the
display entirely, but none of them has quite 'got it'.

Any help appreciated...setting a prompt to "Just hit return twice" is
something I just can't sleep on.

-- 
73      de     Chris       KC2RGW
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