Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpfcso!hpfelg!koren
From: koren@hpfelg.HP.COM (Steve Koren)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Command line length limitations (was: Re: Pipes)
Message-ID: <13920069@hpfelg.HP.COM>
Date: 13 Jun 90 13:55:22 GMT
References: <38zy02j0ae2P01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Organization: HP Elec. Design Div. -FtCollins
Lines: 34

> I much prefer the Amiga's pattern matching abilities over the
> traditional * route, But what I think is sorely missed in the Amiga Shell
> is file completion.   I think the most valuable thing about the shells I use
> on Unix is File Completion!  That feature...

There are two ways to achieve file name completion in AmigaDos.  (Or
rather, there are at least two; I suppose there might be others).  One
solution is that a utility by Bill Hawes (supplied with WShell I
believe) will provide filename completion for you.  I don't have Wshell
so I can't comment on how it works and what features it has.  WShell is
pretty cheap though, you might consider it.

The second choice (advertisement-mode on :-) ) is to use SKsh.  It is
free, and provides a few different filename completion features.  You
can use <esc><esc> or <tab> to do normal filename completion.  <esc>-*
will insert all file names which match the previously typed pattern,
and <esc>-= will list matching filenames and then re-display the command
line as it was letting you continue typing.  In 1.4 there is a new
feature called a "complist" which lets to perform completion on any
arbitrary series of strings.  For example, ones that you define yourself,
files inside of a .zoo archive, or a buffered list of files on a floppy
disk for rapid access, etc.  Completion will get a little better
yet in 1.5 (RSN :-)) when a few new features will be added (such as
automatically indicating whether the thing you completed was a directory
or a file name), and you will be able to map any keys you wish to
perform completion.  I'm even considering context sensitive string
completion for 1.6, but that is a ways off yet.  Context sensitive
completion will be able to, for example, look at only .c files and
ignore .o files in certain situations, etc.

Hope this helps.  WShell is available pretty much anyplace which sells
Amiga software, and SKsh 1.4 is on one of the recent Fish disks.

   - steve