JO> If a user connects to a bbs, ansi screens are send to user via
 JO> the modem but the same ansi screens are also displayed on the
 JO> sysop's screen. Do they just make a procedure that send's
 JO> character's to the local screen with the write procedure and to
 JO> the remote computer with fossil routines?
yup... actually it may not simply be the "write" or "writeln" routine on the 
local screen... i'm sure that may be in there at some point but whatever is 
done, the local side also has to process the ANSI (or AVATAR or RIP or 
MAXgraphics etc...) codes and do what needs to be done...
 JO> I just want to know how you can test a program that uses modem
 JO> routines to see if the output really goes to the modem. Is there
 JO> a way you can display the remote's computer screens on the local
 JO> computer?
the best way is to "dial in" from another computer with a terminal program... 
in fact, use several different terminal programs so you can see how they 
react to different things you may do or how they may react to different ANSI 
sequences...
i say "dial in" because you can generally fake the system(s) out by using a 
null modem cable and going direct from serial port to serial port without 
using a modem at all... you can also use the modems in the machines and 
connect them directly with a short piece of phone line. this method depends 
greatly on the modems and there is a specific procedure to get them to 
connect. one problem seen at time with this method is that with the modems 
being so close together, there may be circut problems due to noise or to the 
signals being "too loud"... doing some of this is a bit offtopic for this 
area, though... so with that in mind, i won't go much further in that 
discussion...
)\/(ark
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