Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!
From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Pipes
Message-ID: <2216@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca>
Date: 11 Nov 90 19:30:03 GMT
Lines: 33
Return-Path: <lpami!lphillips>
To: van-bc!rnews

In <1990Nov10.230910.29829@opusc.csd.scarolina.edu>, yarnall@opusc.csd.scarolina.edu (Ken Yarnall) writes:
>In article <2202@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca> lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) writes:
>+
>+I regularly use '|' as both a pipe and an 'OR' character on the Amiga, with no
>+confusion at all. I use WShell, Conman, and Bill Hawes' PIP: device. Try it,
>+you'll like it.
>
>Except you have to use whitespace around the `|' when it means pipe, right?
>Hey, I admit that this is a remarkably minor gripe, but I've developed some
>affection for my pipe symbol, and think that it makes good sense in a lot of
>ways.

Yes, I use whitespace before the pipe, usually after as well, though it isn't
necessary. I also use whitespace around the pipe symbol when I use it on a Unix
box at work. You know, looked at in another way, the '|' as pipe character can
be looked at as a two character sequence consisting of a space followed by a
'|'. I just object to changing things for the sake of changing them, and
generating other difficulties while we're at it. I think your pipe symbol would
mess up the '-' used as command line switch, and possibly mess up the '-' used
as 'character sequence' ie. as in [a-z]. It might also mess up the redirection
operator ('>'). At any rate, one shell might be written to take care of any of
these objections, but most other shell authors might object to messing with
their efforts to remain at all close in syntax.

-larry

--
The only things to survive a nuclear war will be cockroaches and IBM PCs.
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                 |
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