It can definitely be improved. The model has some significant flaws. I started again from the fundamentals and came up with a rather different model for differentiating terminal capabilities.

* http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/nosh/guide/commands/TerminalCapab...

Note, in fairness, that not having the terminfo file is not a huge problem, as terminfo is designed so that one can transport information from one system to another, and place local database entries in one's home directory if necessary.