NB>  ML> on the one hand, true but that's just not how it works... one has to
 NB>  ML> trick to write to the 80th column or position 80x25... that trick is
 NB>  ML> direct screen writes and does not involved the cursor at all... it i
 NB>  ML> programming thing...
 NB> 
 NB> So can the "trick to write to the 80th column" be taken care of as a
 NB> "programming thing" rather than the sysop having to edit each and every
 NB> ansi that writes to that spot?

It can, if the software wants to pre-process all screens, reformatting and 
removing newlines then padding each row to warp on column 80 properly.  But
then nothing is ever as simple as it should be! :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.10 A42 (Windows)