Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1a 12/4/83; site rlgvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!guy
From: guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.unix,net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: hang vol_ser=123456 file=mytape mode=read_write density=1600
Message-ID: <1817@rlgvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 18-Mar-84 13:52:05 EST
Article-I.D.: rlgvax.1817
Posted: Sun Mar 18 13:52:05 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Mar-84 07:17:10 EST
References: <3533@utcsrgv.UUCP>, <135@looking.UUCP> <363@dual.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA
Lines: 14

The usage of "-" as the option indicator character in UNIX dates back to
Multics, which made the same choice.  DEC operating systems use "/", and
the reason why UNIX can't use this is left as an exercise to the reader...
Multics' path name syntax used ">", so they could have used "/"; the reason why
UNIX couldn't use ">" is also left as an exercise (Multics also used "<" to
move up in the hierarchy, in the same way UNIX uses "../").  "+" might be
preferable, although it's slightly more inconvenient to type (it's shifted,
while "-" isn't).  Stratus also uses "-" as the option indicator, but
considering one of Stratus' founders is the guy who wrote the Multics PL/I
compiler, the fact that Stratus' OS was written in PL/I and resembles a
certain MIT/Honeywell/Bell Labs sort of product should be obvious...

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy