Xref: utzoo comp.lang.rexx:354 comp.sys.amiga.tech:16361
Newsgroups: comp.lang.rexx,comp.sys.amiga.tech
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!watcsc!psop
From: psop@watcsc.waterloo.edu (Paul Sop)
Subject: Re: Follow the true Way -- A PLEA!! for good program design.
Message-ID: <1990Nov22.012641.22866@watcsc.waterloo.edu>
Keywords: AREXX , *
Reply-To: psop@watcsc.waterloo.edu (Paul Sop)
Organization: University of Waterloo Computer Science Club
References: <1990Nov17.080652.28036@watcsc.waterloo.edu> <1343@tardis.Tymnet.COM>
Date: Thu, 22 Nov 90 01:26:41 GMT

In article <1343@tardis.Tymnet.COM> jms@tardis.Tymnet.COM (Joe Smith) writes:
>In article <1990Nov17.080652.28036@watcsc.waterloo.edu> psop@watcsc.waterloo.edu (Paul Sop) writes:
>>I want everyone, from now on, everywhere, who owns an amiga, to add
>>call close 'STDIN';call open 'STDIN','*','R'
>
>I will not add this to my programs.  That is not the appropriate place to
>put a bug fix.  Instead, I will wait for the Arexx interpreter itself to be
>fixed.  Putting kludges in all your programs to get around a bug in one
>particular version of the interpeter is not what I'd call "clean coding".

There are no bugs like this that need to be fixed.
The problem pertains to certain amiga features and how to use them
to their fullest.

Arexx isn't broken.  Nor are other amiga programs (the whole point was
that opening * (a console sort of thing) lets you achieve things you
otherwise couldn't)

I see now that it interferes with piping under normal Amiga DOS shells
(my shell takes care of this), so programmers may not want to use it
everywhere.

It would be good though, since it requires so little code, to
specify it as an option for text-based line-oriented-i/o applications.

Something along these lines would be nice:

COMMAND -* parm1 parm2 parm3...


Thanks for all the interesting replies people.

But back to your reply....  There's nothing kludgie about it.
Most languages allow you to close stdin and re-direct it to some other
channel.  There is nothing broken in AREXX that my suggestion
'patches'.  It only helps you in certain situations.

Your message contained a good amount of agitation, and this is not
the place for such agitation.  You're obviously ill-informed when it
comes to this topic.  Some honest advice with good intent; from me,
to you:  Chill out a bit.

     Simulating psychedelic milieus with flashing lights and hallucinogenics:
.............................................................................
z s w a m p . f i d o n e t . o r g ! l i l l i p u t ! u n i x 4 ! p s o p 4
    - O R -                   p s o p @ w a t c s c . w a t e r l o o . e d u
.............................................................................
                                                      Mail me if you're mean.