Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!ria!uwovax!2011_552
From: 2011_552@uwovax.uwo.ca (Terry Gaetz (UWO Astronomy))
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Need input for future DOS release
Message-ID: <5456.26090ce4@uwovax.uwo.ca>
Date: 22 Mar 90 22:35:32 GMT
References: <53686@microsoft.UUCP> <2017@clyde.concordia.ca> <1990Mar22.202023.25752@seri.gov>
Lines: 59

In article <1990Mar22.202023.25752@seri.gov>, marshall@wind55.seri.gov 
   (Marshall L. Buhl) writes:
>>>   ***  Gordon Letwin asks for desired DOS enhancements.  ***
> 
> smw@maxwell.Concordia.CA ( Steven Winikoff ) writes:
> 
>>In any case, off the top of my head, some things I'd like to see:
> 
>>1) A way that works, consistently across all commands (built-in or otherwise),
>>   to change the switch character and path separator character (so that I can 
>>   make DOS look more like Unix!)

Yes!
 
> This would be a bitch.  I know I hardcoded these characters in my sorted
> directory listing program.  I'm sure others have too.

Then the programs should be recoded and recompiled :-)
 
> Have you considered using the PROMPT command to remap those two keys?

I prefer that a key perform the action listed on the keycap.
 
> If DOS swapped the characters and you used your PC (like me) to log into
> a *nix box, wouldn't your terminal emulator send "\"s instead of "/"s,
> thus screwing up your *nix session?

The terminal emulator should be fixed.

>>2) Interpreting the asterisk in wildcard expressions similarly to how it's
>>   done in Unix (eg handle things like *X.* by generating a list of all
>>   files whose names end with the letter X, regardless of extension --
>>   something that DOS 3.3 provides no way to accomplish).
> 
> Oh, please, please, please.
> 
> Anyone ever "DEL *X.*"?  Pissed, weren't you?

Yes.  PLEASE fix this!

[...] 
> Additional requests from me:
> 
[...]
> 15) Push and Pop directories.

15a) Swap two directories.  I am most frequently jumping back and forth
     between two directories (eg. source directory and test directory).
     It would save a lot of typing if DOS remembered the previous 
     directory and allowed one to jump back to it:
        c:\firstdir> cd \anotherdir
        c:\anotherdir> swapd
        c:\firstdir> swapd
        c:\anotherdir>         [etc.]
     This can be handled by a batch file, but I think DOS should do it.
> --
> Marshall L. Buhl, Jr.                EMAIL: marshall@wind55.seri.gov
-- 
Terry Gaetz         --  gaetz@uwovax.uwo.ca  --  gaetz@uwovax.bitnet