Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ut-sally!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!val
From: val@wsccs.UUCP (Val Kartchner)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Help us defend against VMS!
Message-ID: <341@wsccs.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 88 19:25:05 GMT
References: <2814@enea.se> <20597@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Lines: 54
Summary: Learning curve of Eunuchs vs VMS

In article <20597@bu-cs.BU.EDU>, bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes:
> >And this brings us on to another issue which Barry does not mention:
> >Unix may have some clever tricks, but it's user interface is really
> >arcane. One-letter options is certainly not state-of-the-art.
> 
> I don't mention it because I believe it's a chocolate/vanilla issue I
> specifically said I would avoid. Or would you like to give us all a
> good definition "arcane", with units preferably, perhaps something
> like measured learning curves etc. Can you spell bullshit, I knew you
> could.

    Any Eunuchs programmer could easily: bllsht.  Anyone else could spell it
    correctly.

    Shall we compare learning curves?  A new user on VMS can learn more in
    less time because the options make sense.  For instance, what does "-s"
    mean as opposed to "-S" as opposed to "/system" or "/security"?  Which
    would make more sense to a new user?

    And what about consistency?  A comparison of a (hypothetical) command on
    Eunuchs and VMS:

	    flame/full/type=(eunuchs,consistency) commands
	       vs
            flame -f -t=(eunuchs,consistency) commands

    In the VMS environment, the command would be parsed (and verified
    syntactically correct) in a consistent manner before the program (image)        was even loaded.  In the Eunuchs evironment, the command parsing is left
    totally up to the programmer.  This means a wide variety (and
    inconsistent) method of parsing between programmers.  (Sometimes the
    options to the "-" command must follow immediately, other times a space,
    and other times an equals.)

    This was a problem in the AmigaDOS environment before ARP (AmigaDOS
    Replacement Project) came along.  AmigaDOS parses the commands just like
    Eunuchs (inconsistencies included) and with cryptic "-" commands.  ARP
    provides a standard library of routines to parse the command line
    arguements in a consistent manner.  These libraries are available for
    use of all Amiga programmers to provide this consistency.  Something
    like this is _*DESPERATELY*_ needed in all Eunuchs like environments.

    

    P.S.: If the Eunuchs programmer really wants to, he(/she/it) can parse
    the command line totally him(/her/it)self.  This is to provide Eunuchs
    compatability for those who want it.  Could Eunuchs (and like
    environments) provide optional and consistent command line parsing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Another thought on Eunuchs: Get an editor.
-- 
---  /\  ------------ Val Kartchner  {UT@WSC} ---- #include <flamesuit.h> -----
    /\/\  .    /\   | "Those who don't understand VMS are condemmed to reinvent
   /    \/ \/\/  \  |  Unix; those who understand VMS and Unix use VMS."
==/ U i n T e c h \====!ihnp4!utah-cs!utah-gr!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!val====