Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!nather From: nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: cat -v and ls -C considered harmful Message-ID: <517@utastro.UUCP> Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 13:40:24 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.517 Posted: Fri Aug 9 13:40:24 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 05:55:32 EDT References: <1303@utcsri.UUCP> <93600010@siemens.UUCP> <2578@sun.uucp> Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 37 > However, > > ls -C /usr/src/cmd/*.c > > doesn't really do the optimal thing, either. On a DEC or > other system where file-name expansion is done in the program, > rather than in the shell, the program would know enough to say: > > /usr/src/cmd: > bar.c bletch.c frotz.c mumble.c quux.c > baz.c foo.c > > which is the ideal format for human consumption. Both Berkeley's > and the USDL's "ls" will, instead, do > > /usr/src/cmd/bar.c /usr/src/cmd/frotz.c > /usr/src/cmd/baz.c /usr/src/cmd/mumble.c > /usr/src/cmd/bletch.c /usr/src/cmd/quux.c > /usr/src/cmd/foo.c > > which contains a lot of redundant information and requires more > columns because of that. > > The ideal would be a filter which did this correctly. However, > I don't have time nor much inclination to write it. > > Guy Harris Interesting. The "ls" command I wrote for MS-DOS machines does it the "ideal" way, except that the "-C" flag is not needed -- that's the default condition. The source was posted to net.sources about a year ago. Doesn't work on Unix machines, though. Sorry. -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA