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From: BARRETT@forest.ecil.iastate.edu (Marc Barrett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Shell Menus.
Message-ID: <20550@snow-white.udel.EDU>
Date: 30 May 90 07:29:29 GMT
Sender: mmdf@udel.EDU
Lines: 44


   Is there some unwritten rule that says that CLI's and GUI's must be
totally seperate?  If there is, then that rule should be broken.  I am
a Shell user.  On my system, I don't even load the WorkBench; my system
just boots directly to a Shell.  But this is out of necessity, as I
don't have enough memory to have the WorkBench loaded all the time.

   I also like the WorkBench, though, and use it frequently.  I have
a hotkey which loads the WorkBench to a custom screen.  I can then
have the WorkBench whenever I need it.  I then have seperate Shell and
WorkBench screens, which I can shuffle between with Amiga-M.  This
is a MUCH more flexable system than shuffling Shell windows with the
mouse to use the WorkBench.  (BTW, I will be very unhappy if, for
some reason, OS2.0 will not let me have seperate Shell and WorkBench
screens as I have with OS1.3)

   I like both the Shell and WorkBench, but am somewhat unhappy with
both.  I wish there could be a merger of the Shell and WorkBench.  OS2.0
provides some CLI characteristics to the WorkBench, but it does not go
far enough.  I also wish that GUI characteristics could be added to the
Shell.  Shell menus would provide this.  People who do not like GUI's
could simply ignore the mouse, and go on with their business unhindered.
But people like me could have the menus to make using the Shell much
easier.

   In particular, I would like to see two things added to the Shell.
OS2.0 provides text clipping betweens Shells and programs, but this is
not really enough.  I would also like to see an 'edit' menu added to
the Shell.  This menu could provide items such as select-all, copy,
cut, and paste to make text clipping more flexable.  I would also
like to see a facility for easily adding custom menus to the Shell.

   Believe me, if I had the programming experience I would do this
myself.  But I do not, and I can only ask someone else (or Commodore)
to do it.  If Commodore will not do it, then I hope that someone
else would be willing to do it.  Any takers?


                                   -MB-

BTW, the DOS Shells on the SUN SparcStation have menus.  Why can't
the Shells on the Amiga have this feature?