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From: edw@ius1.cs.cmu.edu (Eddie Wyatt)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.arch
Subject: Large programs
Message-ID: <1046@ius1.cs.cmu.edu>
Date: Mon, 28-Sep-87 22:23:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: ius1.1046
Posted: Mon Sep 28 22:23:59 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Sep-87 04:03:12 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 23
Keywords: UNIX LS HUMOR
Xref: mnetor comp.unix.wizards:4563 comp.arch:2411


  I was reading "The UNIX Time-Sharing System", by Dennis Ritchie and Ken
Thompson, 1978 for a qual and I came across something I found to be humorous
and pertainate to the discussion about large programs.

"In the absence of the ability to redirect output and input, a still
clusmsier method would have been to require the 'ls' command to accept user
request to paginate its output, to print in multi-column format, and
to arrange that its output be delivered off-line. Actually it would be
surprising, and in fact unwise for efficiency reasons, to expect
authors of commands such as 'ls' to provide such a wide variety of output
options."

   Its seems very funny that they use 'ls' as an example since that
command now is so burdened with options.  The functionality of which
could be provided by piping the output of the command into other
UNIX utilities. It seems that someone lost sight of the original plan.

-- 

					Eddie Wyatt

e-mail: edw@ius1.cs.cmu.edu