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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!ihnp4!ihnss!knudsen
From: knudsen@ihnss.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Long Names --> Short for free
Message-ID: <1811@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 14:10:34 EST
Article-I.D.: ihnss.1811
Posted: Tue Nov 29 14:10:34 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Dec-83 03:11:29 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 15

A very simple scheme to have long names and short is this:
the user need type only as many initial letters of the command as needed
to disambiguate it from any others in the system's vocabulary.
This is very easy to implement, and automatically grows as new words
are added.  A disadvantage is that adding new words may require users to
type more letters than before, but, assuming they know the original full
name, it is easy to  try adding more chars until it works.
Another slight disadvantage is that the first N letters of something may
not be the "ideal" mnemonic, especially when there are groups of commands
all starting with the same 3-4 letters.  Nevertheless, I used a signal-
processor debugging language for several years based on this scheme,
and feel that it works great.  Of course you can still have synonyms
(multiple words for the same command).  An interesting exercise:
What would the commands of your favorite OS, etc., be under this scheme?
	mike k