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From: rbj@uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.4bsd
Subject: Re: "Invalid null command"
Message-ID: <127627@uunet.UU.NET>
Date: 5 Apr 91 21:10:12 GMT
References: <PPDuZ1w164w@dogface> <127435@uunet.UU.NET> <19642@ogicse.ogi.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: UUNET Communications Services, Falls Church, VA
Lines: 26

In <19642@ogicse.ogi.edu> schaefer@ogicse.ogi.edu (Barton E. Schaefer) writes:
>In article <127435@uunet.UU.NET> rbj@uunet.UU.NET (Root Boy Jim) writes:
>} OVERKILL! There is a builtin command, `:' which works nicely,
>
>That's not a builtin command, it's a degenerate case of a label for goto!
>For instance,
>
>    empty:>splot
>
>if you think that's clearer. :-)

RTFM! An excerpt:

  Built-In Commands
     Built-in commands are executed within the  C  shell.   If  a
     built-in  command  occurs  as  any  component  of a pipeline
     except the last, it is executed in a subshell.

     :         Null command.  This command  is  interpreted,  but
               performs no action.

     alias [ name [ def ] ]

-- 
		[rbj@uunet 1] stty sane
		unknown mode: sane