Re: QSHELL commands (was: Stmf copy with add)

On Sat, 13 Oct 2001 jpcarr@tredegar.com wrote:

> You're right  Yours and Mine are both just opinions and each will stand on
> their own merit.

And if I can keep that in mind I think we will avoid a flamewar :)

> <SNIP>
> >Now maybe I won't *have* to
> >press that *@#$ F4 key all the time just to get some work done.
> >I don't have fingers to waste on typing those stupid keywords.
> <SNIP>
>
> I don't quite understand that.  You can key in a CMD without prompting and
> without keywords if you want.
> It isn't mandatory.  However they are there if you need them.
> But with Unix commands you don't have a choice.

Yes, I know one isn't *required* to prompt.  But I didn't know that the
keywords aren't required.  Sticking with the "cat" example from before,
how does one copy multiple files to a target file, creating the target
file if it doesn't exist, concatenating the multiple files together in the
target file, but removing any data already in the target file if it
exists, all without using keywords?  So the same as the unix command:

cp file1 file2 file3 file4 outputfile

> But your comment seems to reveal another difference of view.
> They lead me to believe that you think the paramount importance
> is the programmers time while KEYING IN the program or command.

Yes, I think this is accurate about the way *I* believe.  And not just
programmers, but all users.

> My experience tells me that (aside from interactive command line usage)
> Commands in a Program are read by other programmers a thousand times while
> they are keyed in just once.

Hmm... and my experiece tells me that I will type in a thousand more
commands on the command line than I will read in a program, simply because
I read a program a few times, but *interact* with the system all day.

Perhaps our differences arise because we use the system in a different
way?  It is good to hear other's point of view.

James Rich
james@eaerich.com