ANSI Standard X.364
ANSI Standard (X3.64) Control Sequences for Video Terminals and
Peripherals in alphabetic order by mnemonic
(Inspired by the article
"Toward Standardized Video Terminals: ANSI X3.64 Device Control"
by Mark L. Siegel, April 1984 BYTE, page 365)
(Ps and Pn are parameters expressed in ASCII.)
(Numeric parameters are given in decimal radix.)
(Abbreviations are explained in detail at end.)
(Spaces used in this table for clarity are not
used in the actual codes.)
Default Type
Sequence Sequence Parameter or
Mnemonic Name Sequence Value Mode
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
APC Application Program Cmd Esc Fe Delim
CBT Cursor Backward Tab Esc [ Pn Z 1 EdF
CCH Cancel Previous Character Esc T
CHA Cursor Horzntal Absolute Esc [ Pn G 1 EdF
CHT Cursor Horizontal Tab Esc [ Pn I 1 EdF
CNL Cursor Next Line Esc [ Pn E 1 EdF
CPL Cursor Preceding Line Esc [ Pn F 1 EdF
CPR Cursor Position Report Esc [ Pn ; Pn R 1, 1
CSI Control Sequence Intro Esc [ Intro
CTC Cursor Tab Control Esc [ Ps W 0 EdF
CUB Cursor Backward Esc [ Pn D 1 EdF
CUD Cursor Down Esc [ Pn B 1 EdF
CUF Cursor Forward Esc [ Pn C 1 EdF
CUP Cursor Position Esc [ Pn ; Pn H 1, 1 EdF
CUU Cursor Up Esc [ Pn A 1 EdF
CVT Cursor Vertical Tab Esc [ Pn Y EdF
DA Device Attributes Esc [ Pn c 0
DAQ Define Area Qualification Esc [ Ps o 0
DCH Delete Character Esc [ Pn P 1 EdF
DCS Device Control String Esc P Delim
DL Delete Line Esc [ Pn M 1 EdF
DMI Disable Manual Input Esc \ Fs
DSR Device Status Report Esc [ Ps n 0
EA Erase in Area Esc [ Ps O 0 EdF
ECH Erase Character Esc [ Pn X 1 EdF
ED Erase in Display Esc [ Ps J 0 EdF
EF Erase in Field Esc [ Ps N 0 EdF
EL Erase in Line Esc [ Ps K 0 EdF
EMI Enable Manual Input Esc b Fs
EPA End of Protected Area Esc W
ESA End of Selected Area Esc G
FNT Font Selection Esc [ Pn ; Pn Space D 0, 0 FE
GSM Graphic Size Modify Esc [ Pn ; Pn Space B 100, 100 FE
GSS Graphic Size Selection Esc [ Pn Space C none FE
HPA Horz Position Absolute Esc [ Pn ` 1 FE
HPR Horz Position Relative Esc [ Pn a 1 FE
HTJ Horz Tab w/Justification Esc I FE
HTS Horizontal Tab Set Esc H FE
HVP Horz & Vertical Position Esc [ Pn ; Pn f 1, 1 FE
ICH Insert Character Esc [ Pn @ 1 EdF
IL Insert Line Esc [ Pn L 1 EdF
IND Index Esc D FE
INT Interrupt Esc a Fs
JFY Justify Esc [ Ps ; ... ; Ps Space F 0 FE
MC Media Copy Esc [ Ps i 0
MW Message Waiting Esc U
NEL Next Line Esc E FE
NP Next Page Esc [ Pn U 1 EdF
OSC Operating System Command Esc ] Delim
PLD Partial Line Down Esc K FE
PLU Partial Line Up Esc L FE
PM Privacy Message Esc ^ Delim
PP Preceding Page Esc [ Pn V 1 EdF
PU1 Private Use 1 Esc Q
PU2 Private Use 2 Esc R
QUAD Typographic Quadding Esc [ Ps Space H 0 FE
REP Repeat Char or Control Esc [ Pn b 1
RI Reverse Index Esc M FE
RIS Reset to Initial State Esc c Fs
RM Reset Mode Esc [ Ps l none
SD Scroll Down Esc [ Pn T 1 EdF
SEM Select Edit Extent Mode Esc [ Ps Q 0
SGR Select Graphic Rendition Esc [ Ps m 0 FE
SL Scroll Left Esc [ Pn Space @ 1 EdF
SM Select Mode Esc [ Ps h none
SPA Start of Protected Area Esc V
SPI Spacing Increment Esc [ Pn ; Pn Space G none FE
SR Scroll Right Esc [ Pn Space A 1 EdF
SS2 Single Shift 2 (G2 set) Esc N Intro
SS3 Single Shift 3 (G3 set) Esc O Intro
SSA Start of Selected Area Esc F
ST String Terminator Esc \ Delim
STS Set Transmit State Esc S
SU Scroll Up Esc [ Pn S 1 EdF
TBC Tab Clear Esc [ Ps g 0 FE
TSS Thin Space Specification Esc [ Pn Space E none FE
VPA Vert Position Absolute Esc [ Pn d 1 FE
VPR Vert Position Relative Esc [ Pn e 1 FE
VTS Vertical Tabulation Set Esc J FE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abbreviations:
Intro an Introducer of some kind of defined sequence; the normal 7-bit
X3.64 Control Sequence Introducer is the two characters "Escape ["
Delim a Delimiter
x/y identifies a character by position in the ASCII table (column/row)
EdF editor function (see explanation)
FE format effector (see explanation)
F is a Final character in
an Escape sequence (F from 3/0 to 7/14 in the ASCII table)
a control sequence (F from 4/0 to 7/14)
Gs is a graphic character appearing in strings (Gs ranges from
2/0 to 7/14) in the ASCII table
Ce is a control represented as a single bit combination in the C1 set
of controls in an 8-bit character set
C0 the familiar set of 7-bit ASCII control characters
C1 roughly, the set of control characters available only in 8-bit systems.
This is too complicated to explain fully here, so read Jim Fleming's
article in the February 1983 BYTE, especially pages 214 through 224.
Fe is a Final character of a 2-character Escape sequence that has an
equivalent representation in an 8-bit environment as a Ce-type
(Fe ranges from 4/0 to 5/15)
Fs is a Final character of a 2-character Escape sequence that is
standardized internationally with identical representation in 7-bit
and 8-bit environments and is independent of the currently
designated C0 and C1 control sets (Fs ranges from 6/0 to 7/14)
I is an Intermediate character from 2/0 to 2/15 (inclusive) in the
ASCII table
P is a parameter character from 3/0 to 3/15 (inclusive) in the ASCII
table
Pn is a numeric parameter in a control sequence, a string of zero or
more characters ranging from 3/0 to 3/9 in the ASCII table
Ps is a variable number of selective parameters in a control sequence
with each selective parameter separated from the other by the code
3/11 (which usually represents a semicolon); Ps ranges from
3/0 to 3/9 and includes 3/11
===========================================================================
Format Effectors versus Editor Functions
A format effector specifies how the final output is to be created.
An editor function allows you to modify the specification.
For instance, a format effector that moves the "active position" (the
cursor or equvalent) one space to the left would be useful when you want to
create an overstrike, a compound character made of two standard characters
overlaid. Control-H, the Backspace character, is actually supposed to be a
format effector, so you can do this. But many systems use it in a
nonstandard fashion, as an editor function, deleting the character to the
left of the cursor and moving the cursor left. When Control-H is assumed to
be an editor function, you cannot predict whether its use will create an
overstrike unless you also know whether the output device is in an "insert
mode" or an "overwrite mode". When Control-H is used as a format effector,
its effect can always be predicted. The familiar characters carriage
return, linefeed, formfeed, etc., are defined as format effectors.
===========================================================================
ANSI X3.64 Mode-Changing Parameters for use with the
Select Mode (SM) and Reset Mode (RM) functions
Parameter Mode Mode Function
Characters Mnemonic
column/ graphic
row repres.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/0 0 an error condition
3/1 1 GATM guarded-area transfer mode
3/2 2 KAM keyboard action mode
3/3 3 CRM control representation mode
3/4 4 IRM insertion/replacement mode
3/5 5 SRTM status-reporting transfer mode
3/6 6 ERM erasure mode
3/7 7 VEM vertical editing mode
3/8 8 reserved for future standardization
3/9 9 reserved for future standardization
3/10 : reserved separator for parameters
3/11 ; Standard separator for parameters
3/12 < reserved for private (experimental) use
3/13 = reserved for private (experimental) use
3/14 > reserved for private (experimental) use
3/15 ? reserved for private (experimental) use
3/1 3/0 10 HEM horizontal editing mode
3/1 3/1 11 PUM positioning unit mode
3/1 3/2 12 SRM send/receive mode
3/1 3/3 13 FEAM format effector action mode
3/1 3/4 14 FETM format effector transfer mode
3/1 3/5 15 MATM multiple area transfer mode
3/1 3/6 16 TTM transfer termination mode
3/1 3/7 17 SATM selected area transfer mode
3/1 3/8 18 TSM tabulation stop mode
3/1 3/9 19 EBM editing boundary mode
3/1 3/10 1: reserved separator for parameters
3/1 3/11 1; Standard separator for parameters
3/1 3/12 1< error condition--unspecified recovery
3/1 3/13 1= error condition--unspecified recovery
3/1 3/14 1> error condition--unspecified recovery
3/1 3/15 1? error condition--unspecified recovery
3/2 3/0 20 LNM linefeed/newline mode (not in ISO 6429)
3/2 3/1 21
. .
. . reserved for future standardization
. .
3/9 3/9 99
3/12 3/0 <0
. .
. . reserved for private (experimental) use
. .
3/15 3/15 ??
===========================================================================
NOTES ON THE DEC VT100 IMPLEMENTATION
In the case of the popular DEC VT100 video-terminal implementation,
the only mode that may be altered is the linefeed/newline (LNM) mode.
Other modes are considered permanently set, reset, or not applicable
as follows:
Set: ERM
Reset: CRM, EBM, FEAM, FETM, IRM, KAM, PUM, SRTM, TSM
N/A: GATM, HEM, MATM, SATM, TTM, VEM
Control sequences implemented in the VT100 are as follows:
CPR, CUB, CUD, CUF, CUP, CUU, DA, DSR, ED, EL, HTS, HVP, IND,
LNM, NEL, RI, RIS, RM, SGR, SM, TBC
plus several private DEC commands.
Erasing parts of the display (EL and ED) in the VT100 is performed thus:
Erase from cursor to end of line Esc [ 0 K or Esc [ K
Erase from beginning of line to cursor Esc [ 1 K
Erase line containing cursor Esc [ 2 K
Erase from cursor to end of screen Esc [ 0 J or Esc [ J
Erase from beginning of screen to cursor Esc [ 1 J
Erase entire screen Esc [ 2 J
The VT100 responds to receiving the DA (Device Attributes) control
Esc [ c (or Esc [ 0 c)
by transmitting the sequence
Esc [ ? l ; Ps c
where Ps is a character that describes installed options.
The VT100's cursor location can be read with the DSR (Device Status
Report) control
Esc [ 6 n
The VT100 reports by transmitting the CPR sequence
Esc [ Pl ; Pc R
where Pl is the line number and Pc is the column number (in decimal).
===========================================================================
The complete document describing the standard, "ANSI X3.64-1979:
Additional Controls for Use with the American National Standard
Code for Information Interchange," can be ordered for $13.50 (plus
$4 postage) from
Standards Sales Department
American National Standards Institute
1430 Broadway
New York, NY 10018
212/354-3300
It's best to read the full standard before using it. It also helps
to have copies of the related standards "X3.4-1977: American
National Standard Code for Information Interchange" (the ASCII
standard) and "X3.41.1974: Code-Extension Techniques for Use with
the 7-Bit Coded Character Set of American National Standard for
Information Interchange."
See also the chapter "Using Extended Screens and Keyboard Control"
in the IBM PC-DOS manuals (versions 2.0, 2.1, and 3.0), especially
for the coding for character attributes.
The specification for the DEC VT100 is document EK-VT100-UG-003,
available for $13.00 prepaid from:
Digital Equipment Corporation
Accessories and Supplies Group
POB CS-2008
Nashua, NH 03061
(Copyright 1984 BYTE Publications, subsidiary of McGraw-Hill Inc.)
(Permission granted to reproduce for noncommercial uses.)
(This file prepared by Richard S. Shuford.)
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