Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ames!nrl-cmf!cmcl2!rutgers!bellcore!tness7!ninja!dalsqnt!rpp386!pigs!haugj From: haugj@pigs.UUCP (The Beach Bum) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Prior use of the name "ARC" Message-ID: <422@pigs.UUCP> Date: 16 Sep 88 19:12:59 GMT References: Reply-To: haugj@pigs.UUCP (The Beach Bum) Organization: The Big "D" Home for Wayward Hackers Lines: 39 In article W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (Keith Petersen) writes: >The program name "ARC" has been in use by Digital Equipment >Corporation since the 60's on their TOPS-20 mainframe operating >system. [ cruft deleted ] >@help arc > >The ARCHIVE command asks that a permanent off-line copy of the specified >files be made on magnetic tape, and prevents the disk copy (if retained) >from being modified. This is an example of how TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 [ and even VAX/VMS ] allows command abbreviatioons. HELP correctly gives the name of the command as ARCHIVE. All (most?) DEC operating systems allow command names to be abbreviated to the short unique prefix string. Another example of this is DIR under those same operating systems. The command name is DIRECTORY, but all prefix strings, starting with DIR work. Also, you do not even have to have a binary for a command to exist. Under old VAX/VMS versions I remember that RENAME and COPY were both handled by PIP. A few ^T's while executing a smathering of commands should reveal other commands who exist in name only. "ARC" as used by SEA is the trademark for the file archiving product which they produce. There is prior use of the word "REAL", and yet The Dairy Council has a trademark on the word "REAL" and the stylistic logo which goes with it. If you wish to use "REAL" with your dairy products, you must first get their permission. Arguing that Miriam Webster placed "REAL" in the public domain with his first dictionary will not win. It might be nice if everyone cheering Phil Katz on first studied law more than by watching a few episodes of Perry Mason. -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-The Beach Bum at The Big "D" Home for Wayward Hackers-=-=-=-=-=-= Very Long Address: John.F.Haugh@rpp386.dallas.tx.us Very Short Address: jfh@rpp386 "ANSI C: Just say no" -- Me