Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!ames!hc!beta!unm-la!unmvax!nmtsun!hydrovax
From: hydrovax@nmtsun.nmt.edu (M. Warner Losh)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Command interface interim suggestion
Message-ID: <1166@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Date: 13 Dec 87 21:39:48 GMT
References: <216@unicom.UUCP>
Organization: NMT Hydrology program
Lines: 39
Keywords: command interface, globbing, tomfoolery, kudgery
Summary: VMS aleady does this

In article <216@unicom.UUCP>, physh@unicom.UUCP (Jon 'Quality in - Quantity out' Foreman) writes:
> 
> 	Since the binary images have so much extra information in them
> already (symbol table, reloadability when pure, etc), why not add yet
> another optional header, say 1024 bytes long, which defines how
> arguments are supposed to be handled?
In a way VMS already supports this.  It doesn't place a header on the
file, it keeps its own tables of what to do with each command.  It
is really quite easy to use and promotes more of a standard fel to
the operating system.  After all, without aliasing, what system allows
you to abbreviate commands to their shortest, unique part.  That means
that you can type DIRECTORY or DIR (or any number of letters in between).
or (to take an example from the receince past of the net):

$ DELete *.OBJ/COnfirm

Here case is used to tell you what you the minimal needed to enter
the command.  Case doesn't matter in VMS :-)

The DELETE program needs only to make one call to VMS to find
out if the /COONFIRM qualifier is present.

BTW, is there a magic cookie for RM that tells you what files it is
deleting?  I didn't see one in the man page.  I have a SLOW shell
script to do this (when I need to do this).

One last note, this is for informational purposes only.  I don't want
to start the religious war up again (VMS vs UNIX vs *).  Just thought that
this might make the discussion more complete.

			Warner

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