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From: pete@topaz.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Proposal for an Amiga Shell
Message-ID: <2255@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Mon, 19-Jan-87 02:21:28 EST
Article-I.D.: jade.2255
Posted: Mon Jan 19 02:21:28 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Jan-87 23:36:42 EST
Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: pete@topaz.berkeley.edu.UUCP ()
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 50
Keywords: Amiga shell CLI Sili(Con:) windows
Summary: Some suggestions already implemented!

In his "Proposal for an Amiga Shell", Mike Meyer omitted a little bit of
information.  He didn't mention that his basic proposals for the shell's
user interface actually exist already as working features of my own
enhanced CLI "Sili(Con:)".  Although I know it's not usually done to
advertise one's own products on the net, I felt that at least I had to
establish Prior Art!  In any case Sili(Con:) is shareware, so maybe it's
OK.  Mike admits that my program (which I showed him a few weeks before
Christmas) was one of his idea sources.  Of course there are many other
suggestions in his paper as well, that aren't yet implemented in any Amiga
program that I know of;  I'll try to submit some comments on those later,
when I've thought about it a while.

Having staked my claim, I'd better show some nuggets.  Sili(Con:) was
written to give the user a bit more power than the very basic "Glass TTY"
you get with the AmigaDOS CLI.  It is a CLI itself -- or Shell if you prefer,
but don't infer any unix-like connotations -- that takes over from the
standard one, popping up its own window, subdivided into two.  The bottom
part -- actually a string gadget (sort of) -- is where you enter commands,
just as you would to the old CLI; you have full cursor (and mouse) editing
capabilities here, naturally, until you hit return, when the command is sent
for execution, queued if necessary.  Each new command as entered pops up
into the upper "History" window, where it is available for recall at any
time, either by selection with the up and down arrow keys or directly
with the mouse; you can edit a recalled command before re-executing it
if you want.  Double-clicking with the mouse executes it immediately.  Up
to fifty commands will be kept in the history before the oldest ones are
bumped, but commands that are re-executed without editing are not put in
the list a second time.  Output from the commands appears in the original
DOS window (unless it opens one of its own), and you interact with the
command there also, if you need to.

There are other convenience features of course, like being able to push
the Sili(Con:) window out of the way or bring it -- activated -- to
the front with single keystrokes, and direct execution of command script
files.  The command format is totally compatible with the standard CLI.

I won't go on in detail here, because I've about covered its relation to
Mike's proposal.  Of course I'm working on further versions, and I might
even snitch some ideas from him if I like 'em!

                                     -- Pete Goodeve --

 ========================================================================
Disclaimer:
            I think for once a disclaimer might be appropriate.
            "Sili(Con:)" and any other activities or views of mine
            apropos the Amiga have no connection with the University
            of California, by whom I am currently employed as a
            consultant.
=========================================================================