Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!van-bc!lpami
From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: S/W Installation methodology
Message-ID: <2048@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: 21 Dec 88 14:44:34 GMT
Sender: lpami@van-bc.UUCP
Lines: 39

In <3128@sugar.uu.net>, peter@sugar.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
>> As  I  read  the   discussion  about  complicated  software  installation
>> procedures and how  to simplify them, I  would love to say  "Write a REXX
>> program to do it." That's how it's done in the VM/CMS world, where nearly
>> every vendor's installation sequence boils down to "Unload the first file
>> from this tape and run it."
> 
> Why do you need REXX to do this? Just because REXX is the preferred batch
> language on VM/CMS, doesn't mean it's the preferred batch language on the
> Amiga. There's the existing "Execute" program.

	Well, why not? Ever try to manipulate any file data with an 'Execute'
script? Ever try to parse user input with an 'Execute' script? If scripts are
going to be anything more than the simplest sort of thing, a more powerful
script language is needed. ARexx is here now with that power. Nothing else
comes close.
 
> Besides, we're not talking about how to get a program run. You can always
> just write an install program. The discussion centers on just what that
> program should *do*.

	Right.

> Me, I think that you should just copy the files to the hard disk and run the
> program. Let the program ask you questions to finish the installation if it
> hasn't been done the first time you run it.

	I agree. It seems that everyone wants the WB to somehw magically handle
everything, but without overhead. Some things are best known by the author of
the software.

--
"Intelligent CPU?  I thought you said Intel CPU!" 
        -Anonymous IBM designer-
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                |
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