Gold key (DEC)

Last updated
VT180 Robin WPS keyboard with Gold key in the upper left of its numeric keypad (alternate functions written in gold on the fronts of other keys) DEC VT180 WPS - num pad with Gold key.JPG
VT180 Robin WPS keyboard with Gold key in the upper left of its numeric keypad (alternate functions written in gold on the fronts of other keys)

The Gold key is a computer keyboard key used as a prefix to invoke a variety of single-key editing and formatting functions. Usually located in the top-left position of the numeric keypad on platforms such as the VT100, it is the signature element of a consistent user interface implemented by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) across multiple product lines.

Contents

It is used within WPS, EDT, and many other common VAX programs. [1] The key, typically located as the upper leftmost key on the numeric keypad on different terminals, [2] was not necessarily colored gold. Some DEC terminals would include keyboards where the gold key was labeled PF1, as on the VT100 and VT200, or was colored blue, as on the VT52. [3] On some keyboards, the normal function of a key would be labeled on the lower portion of the key, while its alternate function activated with the GOLD key would be labeled above it. [2]

Usage

The Gold Key is used to invoke single-key functions which may be located on either the main keyboard or the numeric keypad. For example, on the WPS-8 word processing system, the main keyboard key C is marked "CENTR", in gold lettering, on its front surface; the keystrokes GOLDC invoke that word processing function to center the current line of text. [4] :p1.8

The Gold key is a prefix key, not a modifier key. A modifier key would be pressed and held while a second key is pressed; the Gold key is pressed and released before a second key is pressed and released. In that sense, DEC and compatible software uses the Gold key in the same way that Emacs uses the escape key.

Origins

The base model VT50 terminal was equipped with a main keyboard only, and so had no Gold key. The model VT50H added a numeric keypad, including three unlabeled keys whose functions would be determined by whatever program was running. [5] :p14 Located at the top left of the keypad, [6] :p3.1 these were later named "PF" keys, and by convention, the first of them, PF1, became the Gold key.

The VT50H numeric keypad was of limited usefulness in editing because, from the perspective of the computer receiving its input, most of the keypad's keys were indistinguishable from their equivalents on the main keyboard. The VT52 terminal added an alternate keypad mode in which all keypad keys would send distinct character codes. [5] :pp14-15 [6] :pp3.5-3.6

In his introduction to a 1990 DEC oral history presentation, Robert Everett, Fellow of the Computer History Museum, [7] credited John T. (Jack) Gilmore with "designing Digital's gold keyboard interface". [8] :p1

Classic software

Software using Gold key keyboard functions was developed across multiple generations of DEC computers.

ALL-IN-1 WPS-Plus keyboard layout; functions using the Gold key are shown on black background Allin1-wlsplus-help.png
ALL-IN-1 WPS-Plus keyboard layout; functions using the Gold key are shown on black background

PDP-8 processors ran the WPS-8 word processing software package on several models of one- and two-user dedicated "word station" systems. [4]

PDP-11 processors running RT-11 used the KED/KEX editors. [9] :ch 1

VAXen running VMS used the EDT editor, [10] :ch 2 initially with either the VT52 or the VT100 (which have slightly different keypads). [10] :p2.3

Alpha AXP RISC processors running OpenVMS also used EDT, often with later-model terminals such as the VT220 VT420. [11] [12] :pp150-155

EDT recognizes an additional usage for the Gold key, to enter a repeat count. [12] :p152 For example, the keystrokes GOLD20= enter a line of twenty equals signs. Repeat counts also apply to keypad editing commands, but if such a command itself requires the Gold key, the Gold key must be pressed again before the command key. For example, assuming a VT100 keypad, GOLDkeypad 6 perform the PASTE editing command (once), while GOLD4GOLDkeypad 6 performs PASTE four times. [11] :p.EDT-78 For editing commands which are directional, such as moving the cursor, negative repeat counts may be used to indicate reverse direction.

VAX and Alpha VMS systems supported the ALL-IN-1 office application suite, including the WPS-Plus word processor.

Compatibility and continuity

Various hardware and software products have been produced to maintain compatibility with both the variety of legacy Gold key host systems and with the expertise and preferences of the many Gold key users.

At the same time that DEC was selling VAX-based WPS-Plus in the late 1980s, Exceptional Business Solutions of Culver City, California, sold a PC-based word processor named WPS-PC, "designed for users who have experience with the DEC family of Gold-key word processors and would rather fight than switch." [13] :p330

As personal computers began to replace serial terminals even in their core role of talking to central host computers, DEC itself supplied its new Rainbow PC with a Gold Key Country Kit for use with VAX ALL-IN-1. [14]

Emacs offers an EDT emulator package [15] which supports both physical and virtual VT100-style terminals. There is a slight complication for virtual (xterm-style) terminals which run on top of a host PC operating system, in that the Num lock key cannot be remapped to the Gold key at the level of Emacs; instead, it is remapped at the level of the X server (instructions provided). As of the latest stable release of Emacs (2013), EDT and Gold key support is a current feature.

Note that software can never quite achieve full functional fidelity across desktop platforms simply because keypad hardware differs: the PC numeric keypad has only 17 keys, the VT100 terminal and LK201 keyboard each have 18 (not including arrow keys), [11] :p.EDT-4 and the VT52 numeric keypad has 19 keys. [6] :p3.1 [11] :p.EDT-5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital Equipment Corporation</span> U.S. computer manufacturer (1957–1998)

Digital Equipment Corporation, using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957. Olsen was president until he was forced to resign in 1992, after the company had gone into precipitous decline.

The keyboard for IBM PC-compatible computers is standardized. However, during the more than 30 years of PC architecture being frequently updated, many keyboard layout variations have been developed.

TECO, short for Text Editor & Corrector, is both a character-oriented text editor and a programming language, that was developed in 1962 for use on Digital Equipment Corporation computers, and has since become available on PCs and Unix. Dan Murphy developed TECO while a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OpenVMS</span> Computer operating system

OpenVMS, often referred to as just VMS, is a multi-user, multiprocessing and virtual memory-based operating system. It is designed to support time-sharing, batch processing, transaction processing and workstation applications. Customers using OpenVMS include banks and financial services, hospitals and healthcare, telecommunications operators, network information services, and industrial manufacturers. During the 1990s and 2000s, there were approximately half a million VMS systems in operation worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VT100</span> Computer terminal from Digital Equipment Corporation

The VT100 is a video terminal, introduced in August 1978 by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). It was one of the first terminals to support ANSI escape codes for cursor control and other tasks, and added a number of extended codes for special features like controlling the status lights on the keyboard. This led to rapid uptake of the ANSI standard, which became the de facto standard for hardware video terminals and later terminal emulators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANSI escape code</span> Method used for display options on video text terminals

ANSI escape sequences are a standard for in-band signaling to control cursor location, color, font styling, and other options on video text terminals and terminal emulators. Certain sequences of bytes, most starting with an ASCII escape character and a bracket character, are embedded into text. The terminal interprets these sequences as commands, rather than text to display verbatim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer terminal</span> Computer input/output device for users

A computer terminal is an electronic or electromechanical hardware device that can be used for entering data into, and transcribing data from, a computer or a computing system. Most early computers only had a front panel to input or display bits and had to be connected to a terminal to print or input text through a keyboard. Teleprinters were used as early-day hard-copy terminals and predated the use of a computer screen by decades. The computer would typically transmit a line of data which would be printed on paper, and accept a line of data from a keyboard over a serial or other interface. Starting in the mid-1970s with microcomputers such as the Sphere 1, Sol-20, and Apple I, display circuitry and keyboards began to be integrated into personal and workstation computer systems, with the computer handling character generation and outputting to a CRT display such as a computer monitor or, sometimes, a consumer TV, but most larger computers continued to require terminals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VT220</span> Computer terminal from Digital Equipment Corporation

The VT220 is a computer terminal introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in November 1983. The VT240 added monochrome ReGIS vector graphics support to the base model, while the VT241 did the same in color. The 200 series replaced the successful VT100 series, providing more functionality in a much smaller unit with a much smaller and lighter keyboard. Like the VT100, the VT200 series implemented a large subset of ANSI X.364. Among its major upgrades was a number of international character sets, as well as the ability to define new character sets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Function key</span> Key on a computer or terminal keyboard

A function key is a key on a computer or terminal keyboard that can be programmed to cause the operating system or an application program to perform certain actions, a form of soft key. On some keyboards/computers, function keys may have default actions, accessible on power-on.

The DEC Text Processing Utility is a dedicated programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) to easily create multi-functional text editors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alt key</span> Computer key

The Alt keyAlt on a computer keyboard is used to change (alternate) the function of other pressed keys. Thus, the Alt key is a modifier key, used in a similar fashion to the Shift key. For example, simply pressing A will type the letter 'a', but holding down the Alt key while pressing A will cause the computer to perform an Alt+A function, which varies from program to program. The international standard ISO/IEC 9995-2 calls it Alternate key. The key is located on either side of the space bar, but in non-US PC keyboard layouts, rather than a second Alt key, there is an 'Alt Gr' key to the right of the space bar. Both placements are in accordance with ISO/IEC 9995-2. With some keyboard mappings, the right Alt key can be reconfigured to function as an AltGr key although not engraved as such.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VT52</span> CRT-based computer terminal by Digital

The VT50 is a CRT-based computer terminal that was introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in July 1974. It provided a display with 12 rows and 80 columns of upper-case text, and used an expanded set of control characters and forward-only scrolling based on the earlier VT05. DEC documentation of the era refers to the terminals as the DECscope, a name that was otherwise almost never seen.

WPS-8 is a Word Processing System sold by Digital Equipment Corporation for use with their PDP-8 processors.

The LK201 is a detachable computer keyboard introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation of Maynard, Massachusetts in 1982. It was first used by Digital's VT220 ANSI/ASCII terminal and was subsequently used by the Rainbow-100, DECmate-II, and Pro-350 microcomputers and many of Digital's computer workstations such as the VAXstation and DECstation families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VT420</span> Computer terminal from Digital Equipment Corporation

The VT420 is an ANSI standard computer terminal introduced in 1990 by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). The 420 is the only model in the 400 series, replacing the VT320. There are no color or graphics-capable 400 series terminals; the VT340 remained in production for those requiring ReGIS and Sixel graphics and color support. The entire lineup of VT300s and VT420 was eventually replaced by the relatively unknown VT500 series starting in 1993.

Language-Sensitive Editor (LSE) is a full-screen visual editor for the VAX/VMS and OpenVMS Operating systems. LSE is implemented by using the Text Processing Utility (TPU) language. It is part of the DECset programming tool set, which also contains a test manager, the performance and coverage analyzer (PCA), a code management system (CMS), and a module management mystem (MMS).

EVE is a flexible text editor that is part of the VMS operating system. EVE is implemented by using the Text Processing Utility (TPU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VT520</span> Computer terminal from Digital Equipment Corporation

The VT520 is an ANSI standard computer terminal introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in 1993 and 1994. The VT520 is a multi-session monochrome text-only terminal with a built-in 14" monitor. The VT510 was a single-session version, while the VT525 added color support and used a separate external monitor.

The VT1000 was a monochrome X Window System computer terminal introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in April 1990. The VT1200 replaced the VT1000 later that year, consisting of a code update and a bump in the RAM from 1 to 2 MB. All of the VT1000 series communicated with their host computers over Ethernet, supporting TCP/IP as well as DEC's terminal-oriented Local Area Transport (LAT) protocol. They also included standard serial ports to allow basic terminal emulation, built into the ROM.

EDT is a character-based text editor from Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) running on PDP-11, and later for its OpenVMS operating system. It can respond to single keystrokes, and uses function keys to implement commands to the editor. EDT was introduced originally as a line-mode editor. The screen mode was developed first as the Keyboard Editor (KED) on RT-11 as part of the FMS-11 project by Darrell Duffy; EDT on the other operating systems was then enhanced to be compatible with KED.

References

  1. Sandler, Corey; Badgett, Tom (1990). VAX to VAX: a practical guide to connecting VAXs and their peripherals. Wiley. p. 243. ISBN   978-0-471-51506-7. Gold key: A special key on a VAX terminal keyboard enabling alternate key functions. Used within WPS, EDT, and many other programs.
  2. 1 2 Hume, J. N. P.; Holt, Richard C. (1984). VAX Pascal. Reston Publishing Co. p. 54. Gold key — the key at the top left corner of the keypad which serves to act like a shift key to change each of the other keys from its normal function to its alternate function. The normal function appears above the alternate on a key label.
  3. Kapps, Charles A.; Stafford, Robert L. (1987). Assembly Language for the PDP-11: RT-RSX-UNIX. PWS Computer Science. p. 424. ISBN   978-0-87150-072-4. To get the secondary function of the 2 key, you must first type a special key called the gold key. On the VT100/VT200, the gold key is the key marked PF1, and on the VT52 it is the key that is colored blue. In either case, it is the key in the upper left-hand corner of the numeric keypad. Figures E.4 and E.5 show the keypad layouts on the VT52 and VT100/VT200. It is even possible to purchase replacement keytops that have the KED or EDT functions embossed on them.
  4. 1 2 WPS-8 Word Processing System Reference Manual (Digital Equipment Corporation, 1978)
  5. 1 2 DECscope User's Manual Archived 2011-08-14 at the Wayback Machine (Digital Equipment Corporation, 1975)
  6. 1 2 3 VT52 DECscope Maintenance Manual (Digital Equipment Corporation, revised, 1978)
  7. "Robert Everett, 2009 Fellow" Archived 2014-07-03 at the Wayback Machine , Computer History Museum (retrieved April 2014)
  8. Gilmore J, DEC history talk, 1990 June 5 (transcript) (Bob Everett, MC) retrieved April 2014
  9. RT-11 Quick Reference Manual (Digital Equipment Corporation, 1991)
  10. 1 2 VAX/VMS Primer (Digital Equipment Corporation, 1982)
  11. 1 2 3 4 OpenVMS EDT Reference Manual Archived 2009-12-28 at the Wayback Machine (Digital Equipment Corporation, 1993)
  12. 1 2 Davis R. L., Knox L. A., Mertz T. E., "DEC VAX / The EDT Editor / How to Use EDT Keypad Mode", The Handbook of Software for Engineers and Scientists (Paul W. Ross, ed., ISBN   0-8493-2530-7, CRC Press / IEEE Press, 1996) chapter 9.9
  13. "WPS-PC" (product review), PC Magazine (Ziff Davis, ISSN 0888-8507) special issue on word processors (vol 7, no 4, 1988 February 29) pages 330-334
  14. "DEC's Model 100B heads string of Rainbow announcements", Computerworld (IDG Enterprise, ISSN 0010-4841) vol 18, no 16, 1984 April 16, page 6
  15. "Emacs EDT emulation" (Free Software Foundation, retrieved April 2014)