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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Command interfaces
Message-ID: <9082@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Dec-87 17:13:54 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.9082
Posted: Wed Dec  9 17:13:54 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Dec-87 17:13:54 EST
References: <1257@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <6840002@hpcllmv.HP.COM>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 17

> ... Well, the
> easier it was for the author of a program to write it, the better the
> chance he got it right...

As somebody (Kernighan?) once pointed out, if you want people to observe
standards, being standard must be easier than being non-standard.  Why do
people use stdio, or the math functions?  Because it's easier than doing
it yourself, unless you have special needs.  Why don't people use getopt
more?  Because the interface to getopt is a little complicated and it is
hard to get it right when you are typing a program in from scratch.  (For
some discussion about why this is the wrong way to program, and how to
avoid it, come to the Dallas Usenix and listen to my talk!)  Why is command
syntax such a chaotic mess on systems like TOPS-10?  Because it is harder
to do it right than to fudge it crudely.
-- 
Those who do not understand Unix are |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
condemned to reinvent it, poorly.    | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry