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From: ogilvie@utah-cs.UUCP (John Ogilvie)
Newsgroups: net.nlang,net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: long command names - one solution
Message-ID: <2264@utah-cs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 28-Nov-83 18:27:12 EST
Article-I.D.: utah-cs.2264
Posted: Mon Nov 28 18:27:12 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Nov-83 02:02:38 EST
Lines: 17


 The command interpreter on the Lilith machine, which runs Modula-2, uses long
names in connection with string recognition. So, for example, if I type "dir"
and wait a second or two, the system fills in the rest to give "directory". I
then hit <cr> and I'm off and running. In this way, I don't have to remember
a lot of bizarre abbreviations like "grep" and "cat". Moreover, if I mistakenly
type "rem" and wait for the rest of "remove", nothing happens. This reminds me
that I'm not working with UNIX, so I type "del" and the system completes the 
command, "delete", for me.
  It is true that you can learn all the short commands, "~r filename" for
 instance to insert a file into the letter you're mailing, but why not make life easy on yourself? The method above is a sort of menu/command-language, where
you type characters instead of choosing entries in a menu, and still get the
feedback from the system, and needn't wait long.
  Incidentally, the Lilith also uses a bit-mapped display. The menus used in
the text editor, for instance, take no appreciable time to appear. (No, I'm 
not on a commission or a mission).
  John Ogilvie (utah-cs)