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From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: more rm insanity
Message-ID: <9593@mimsy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Dec-87 05:13:06 EST
Article-I.D.: mimsy.9593
Posted: Wed Dec  2 05:13:06 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Dec-87 14:08:41 EST
References: <1257@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <6840002@hpcllmv.HP.COM> <9555@mimsy.UUCP> <1890@celtics.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742
Lines: 49

>In article <9555@mimsy.UUCP> I asked:
>>Why is it that people have so much trouble figuring out how to remove 
>>files whose names start with `-'?

In article <1890@celtics.UUCP> roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes:
>one [might] expect, as with other operating systems, that the process is:
>
>- pick up the command and its options from the entered command
>- pick up the filenames to which the command is to be applied from the
>  supplied filenames, expanding wildcards if necessary

Even if naive users do hold this (incorrect) belief, why, after
discovering the file called `-b' in the current directory and trying
to `rm -b' and then `rm -*' and `?b', do these people not think
`grr, what a stupid rm, it expands the ?b and *then* looks to see
if it has an option ... how do I tell the  thing not to
do that?' Experience tells me that they *do* think this, which
makes it the basic problem worse yet.  In an attempt to get them
to learn something about the system, I sometimes answer with this:

	0. Every file has more than one name.  Tell me another name
	   for the file `-b' in your current directory.

It has yet to work, so I expand a bit:

	1. Where is your home directory?

After a small delay, I usually get the answer `~'.

	2. Now what is another name for the file `-b' in your
	   home directory?

Sometimes I have to supply the answer for this, too:

	3. One is ~/-b.  Notice anything special about this name
	   versus that other one?

Most of them catch on at this point, but sometimes it takes two
more questions:

	4. What is the first character of each of those two names?

	5. What character precedes rm options?

At the end of the six-questions game, they have all figured it
out.  Do they learn something?  I wish I could tell. . . .
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690)
Domain:	chris@mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris