The design and programming of a display interface system integrating multi-access and satellite computers

摘要

This paper describes a system for providing mixed graphical and verbal communications with a multi-access computer via a satellite computer with a display. We assume that such an arrangement is necessary to satisfy an on-line user's large-scale computation and storage requirements economically, and to provide graphical facilities at remote terminals. The general-purpose Display Interface System, parts of which reside in each machine, acts as an interface between the user's programs and the display terminal. It provides means for communication as well as system functions required in each machine. Since it is general purpose, and no user will require all the features it provides, the software exists in the form of system libraries from which a user may select an appropriate subset for his particular application. The user's interface with this system in each machine is intended to be hardware independent