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From: ka@hropus.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: /dev/stdin:  why not call it "-"?
Message-ID: <1098@hropus.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Jun-87 17:02:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: hropus.1098
Posted: Mon Jun 15 17:02:01 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jun-87 01:48:21 EDT
References: <7359@brl-adm.ARPA> <5856@brl-smoke.ARPA> <15318@onfcanim.UUCP> <792@mcgill-vision.UUCP> <7036@mimsy.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 22

"-" is certainly easier to type than "/dev/stdin" and is already somewhat
of a UN*X convention.

How do you implement it?  Change the name of "open" to "_open" and
add the following subroutine to your library:

	int open(file, mode, cmode)
		char *file;
		{
		if (strcmp(file, "-") == 0 && (mode & 03) == 0)
			return dup(0);
		else
			return _open(file, mode, cmode);
	}

Of course this requires that your programs be recompiled if you don't
have shared libraries, but it's a lot cleaner than mucking around with
file descriptors from within a device driver.  Even if you want a kernel
solution and prefer the name "/dev/stdin" I would still be inclined to
stick a check in nami rather than using a device driver, just as a matter
of style.
				Kenneth Almquist