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