A Time-Sharing Display Terminal Session Manager

although faster than typewriter devices, do not implicitly create records of the user's interactive sessions. Based on the premise that a display terminal session facility that also has the record-keeping functions of typewriter terminals would increase productivity, a research project was undertaken that has resulted in the session manager discussed. Experience with the system is summarized. Display terminals are tending to supplant typewriter terminals as the interactive computing terminal of choice. To many interactive users, display terminals offer special features that increase productivity , especially for programmers. Part of the increased productivity comes from the display terminal itself (e.g., the capability of on-screen editing). To take full advantage of display terminals , however, the time-sharing system must provide support of a very different sort than that needed for typewriter terminals. I Most time-sharing systems are line oriented because they have been designed to be accessed from typewriter terminals. In a line-oriented system, the user accomplishes work by typing command statements one line at a time on a keyboard. The system responds with one or more lines of messages or other output. Thus a terminal session is a conversation between the user and the system, and is recorded on the typewriter terminal sheet, which serves as a hard copy record. If a user wants to review a command or output from earlier in a session, he merely looks back on the terminal sheet. Although display terminals offer many advantages over typewriters , such as high-speed data display and quietness of opera-Copying is permitted without payment of royalty provided that (1) each reproduction is done without alteration and (2) the Journal reference and IBM copyright notice are included on the first page. The title and abstract may be used without further permission in computer-based and other information-service systems. Permission to republish other excerpts should be obtained from the Editor.