Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!rochester!cornell!batcomputer!itsgw!imagine!pawl22.pawl.rpi.edu!jesup
From: jesup@pawl22.pawl.rpi.edu (Randell E. Jesup)
Newsgroups: comp.os.misc
Subject: Re: OS features
Message-ID: <170@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU>
Date: 18 Dec 87 15:32:07 GMT
References: <1971@cup.portal.com> <1169@nmtsun.nmt.edu>
Sender: news@imagine.PAWL.RPI.EDU
Reply-To: beowulf!lunge!jesup@steinmetz.UUCP
Organization: RPI Public Access Workstation Lab - Troy, NY
Lines: 19

[comments about tops-20 command completion]
Another interesting idea is Stratus VOS's 'display form' method.  VOS has
VERY wordy commands, though luckily you can have aliases (for example,
cd is 'change_current_directory' (No joke!)).
If you have partly made a command line, you can hit the 'display form' key
(it could be escape on another terminal).  It puts up a full-screen form
of all the options for the command, with all the current values you entered
and the defaults.  You can move the cursor around, changing things according
to the type of field (things like a series of enumerated entries can be
cycled, like for example, baud rates.)  When you're done you hit enter or
cancel.  It is abolutely WONDERFUL when you aren't familiar with the specific
command and don't want to have to read the docs to figure out the arcane
1-char switchs ala UNIX.  You can also ask it to give you a 1 (or maybe more)
liner detailing the command and options.

     //	Randell Jesup			Lunge Software Development
    //	Dedicated Amiga Programmer	13 Frear Ave, Troy, NY 12180
 \\//	lunge!jesup@beowulf.UUCP	(518) 272-2942
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