Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!n8emr!lwv
From: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Davex
Message-ID: <714@n8emr.UUCP>
Date: 1 Dec 88 11:29:34 GMT
References: <8811241440.aa17069@VGR.BRL.MIL>
Reply-To: lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden)
Organization: Ham BBS, 614-457-4227 (1200/2400/19.2 telebit,8N1)
Lines: 50


A little background.  The Apple II series primary operating system (as sold
by Apple) are the Prodos 8 and GS/OS pair.  These operating systems have no
user interface to them built in; like Unix and MS-DOS (as well as some others)
the user interface is user-provided.  The two Apple user interfaces are
known as Basic.System and Finder.  These allow you to see Disk catalogs,
launch programs , rename files, etc.

In the past few years a number of alternate user interfaces have appeared.
The primary ones that I have tried are:

ProSel - highly touted around the US by its users.  This is a menu based 
   program launcher which also comes with dozens of other programs to do
     disk editing, cataloging, renaming, etc.  Note that there is no 
     text editor in this package - it surprizes me that the one remaining
     item that one would need in using a computer is not in this package!
     Updates can be downloaded from CIS , Genie and perhaps elsewhere
     for 'free' by authorized users, or purchased for $5 a disk from the
     author.  If you buy this package from the author you get this type
     of support - if you get the software elsewhere you get no support
     from the author, Glen Bredon of NJ.

ECP - Actually, this is a 2 pronged program - ECP8 is the Prodos 8 interface
	and ECP16 is the GS/OS interface.  This one is by D. Elton (of
	TIC fame) and is a great interface.  It is my primary one due to
	having seen it first .  It is a command line oriented interface,
	and has a minimal scripting capability (some variables, logic,
	function key support, etc.)  ECP16 also has command history and
	a number of other good features.  Look for some interesting developments
	in ECP in the upcoming months if the rumors that I hear are true!

Davex - Dave Lyons has written this comand line interpreter.  It is available
	as shareware (as is ECP currently).  It has output and input 
	redirection, command aliasing, supports a number of hardware
	configurations, etc.  Quite a nice package.

There is also something called Command.Com which is another command interpreter
which I have only heard about.  There are also numerous other program
launcher type programs such as jumpstart, etc.

If you are a 'programming type' and like to run commands with arguments,
change directories, etc. I reccommend using a command line interpreter like
ECP or Davex.  See the Apple2-L archives for at least Davex and perhaps even
ECP!

-- 
Larry W. Virden	 75046,606 (CIS)
674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817
osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP)	osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (INTERNET)
We haven't inherited the world from our parents, but borrowed it from our children.