Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!cadre!pitt!cisunx!ejkst
From: ejkst@cisunx.UUCP (Eric J. Kennedy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: the good old "tools vs. integrated systems" debate.
Message-ID: <7427@cisunx.UUCP>
Date: 4 Mar 88 02:13:59 GMT
References: <7335@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, Comp & Info Sys
Lines: 32
Keywords: tools, IPC, InterProgram Communication
Summary: What about ARexx?

In article <7335@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, pete@violet.berkeley.edu ( Pete Goodeve ) writes:
< -----------------------------------------------------
< 
< Ron Minnich (rminnich@udel.EDU) writes:
< >  [...discusses Unix tools as useful but very limited...]
< >    On the other hand the Amiga rom kernel supports a more sophisticated
< > ipc mechanism. We ought to be able to build tools-based integrated systems!
< >  [.....]
< > Best recent examples: dnet and/or amigatcp, which allow you to
< > interact with individual processes which all tied together are more than
< > the equal of all-in-one programs such as vt100. [.......]
< >  [.....]
< >    Now for a challenge. Can we build a tools-based system that is the
< > equal of Hypercard in its capabilities. I did not say the same thing,
< > but something as capable. Hypercard's capabilities are neat, but i
< > find myself put off by the 'one big program' approach. Can such a system
< > be built some other way? An interesting challenge, i think.
< 
< I'm GLAD someone finally got around to mentioning this idea on the net.
< My feeling has always been that the Amiga and multitasking should obsolete
< the "integrated" approach.  Much better to have small modular programs that
< work together to do exactly what a user wants.  Like Ron says: the "tool
< based" approach, but using the full power of the message mechanism (as well
< as pipes and so on, no doubt -- use them where they suit the job).
 
I thought that ARexx does just this kind of thing, if an application
supports it.  Now, I don't have it, I just remember reading about it
here, so I might be all wet.  If I am, somebody throw me a towel...

-- 
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Eric Kennedy
ejkst@cisunx.UUCP