Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!new
From: new@udel.edu (Darren New)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: RogueStart
Message-ID: <8737@nigel.udel.EDU>
Date: 19 Jan 90 15:19:30 GMT
References: <921@trlluna.trl.oz>
Sender: usenet@udel.EDU
Reply-To: new@udel.edu (Darren New)
Organization: University of Delaware
Lines: 34

>> the silliness in AmigaDOS. [Try getting a listing of a directory called
>> 'DIRS'] Depending on how soon the 2630 comes out (and drops in price) how
>list "DIRS"
>and similarly for any other keyword.

Actually, it's deeper than that.  You can say LIST ? and get the
template (as you can for almost any AmigaDOS command except FORMAT).
The template lists "dir" as one of the keywords.  Therefore,
LIST DIR XXX will list directory XXX no matter what the name is.
Under most UNIX commands, this is impossible even if you quote it.
For example, try removing a file named "-rf" from your home directory
under UNIX.  Even the commands that support "-" as an option meaning
that you have reached the end of the options usually don't like it
if you have "-" as the only option.  Additionally, many commands
treat "-" as meaning stdin. Hence, a file named "-" will either be
treated as meaning stdin or as meaning the end of the options list;
either way, it's ignored.  Also, under AmigaDOS, the templates allow
an easy one-line interactive help unavailable to UNIX commands that
work even without parameters.  For example:
  % rm
  Usage: rm [-rfi] files
  % cat
  (not no usage message)

If you want usage under AmigaDOS, just type LIST ?
If you want a directory of file "?" just type LIST DIR ?
It always works, and as expected. Even with shell scripts this works.
The only advantages of the UNIX method is that it is easier to parse in your
program and that wild-card expansion can be done outside the program
(although this can be ugly too, for example in UNIX grep).
If I could figure out how to get arp.library to do the @$#$%#@ parsing for
me, I'd always use the AmigaDOS templates.

				-- Darren