Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbatt!ihnp4!vax135!cjp From: cjp@vax135.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Democracy in Action (for K keys: more pattern matching flames) Message-ID: <1710@vax135.UUCP> Date: Mon, 29-Dec-86 18:46:06 EST Article-I.D.: vax135.1710 Posted: Mon Dec 29 18:46:06 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 30-Dec-86 04:38:44 EST References: <1108@spice.cs.cmu.edu> <1696@vax135.UUCP> <1966@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> <1702@vax135.UUCP> <2062@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> Reply-To: cjp@vax135.UUCP (Charles Poirier) Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 55 Summary: Glob confirmation In article <2062@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (Don't have strength to leave) Meyer) writes: >Sure. I've been bouncing some ideas for a new shell around (it'll do >the filename expansion - but only so the user can control it! ... >instance, I type an argument, possibly incomplete, possible with >patterns in it. Not sure what to do next, so I hit the HELP key (for >example only - other keys may apply here!). The shell then pattern >matches what I've typed against the correct universe to generate a >list of names. It opens a requestor with all the names displayed, plus >an "OK" gadget. I select the files I want with the mouse (or via other >technics; something like the Dpaint II stencil requester comes to >mind...), then hit OK. The shell subs in all my selections, and we go >on to the next argument. I like the idea of feedback and confirmation of the expansion. I'd prefer something besides a requester. How about expanding the glob right into the command line, which could then be edited a' la ksh? Or for mouser types, make the expanded command line mouse-sensitive per word, say maybe click to delete? Also -- for those times when the globbing turned out really wrong, you might want an "unglob" key to give you back the unexpanded form. Then you edit the glob and re-expand. I use globbing for completion as much as for multiple filenames, for the sake of speed. Having to switch from keyboard to mouse and back to handle a requester is a minus. A related point -- the "expand" option should be a character that you can put into a text file, so that globbing is available from inside shell scripts. (I don't know whether HELP is mapped into ascii -- probably not.) >Likewise, the history mechanism could be run through the shell (I've >actually seen a demo of this!). Not sure what you mean here. Are you familiar with history under ksh? >In summary, it's not the question of pattern matching, or filename >expansion, or whatever. It's the design philosophy of the shell. >[Not to insult CBM/Amiga, but the Workbench is *NOT* a shell. It's >something else again....] > >