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From: chac@aratar.UUCP (Chuck Clanton)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Command line parsing under X11
Message-ID: <336@aratar.UUCP>
Date: 5 Feb 89 12:20:46 GMT
Reply-To: chac@aratar.UUCP (Chuck Clanton)
Organization: Adasoft AG, Solothurn, Switzerland
Lines: 14
Followup-To:

in reply to: Danieley re: command line parsing under X11

there is a generic problem with any selection process that allows
abbreviation to the shortest unambiguous prefix.  i discovered this
more than a decade ago under tenex.  the addition of new options 
will break an unpredictable number of currently working scripts
and habits.  to be safe you must always use the full name (assuming that
the old name for an option will almost always be provided for backward 
compatibility).  it usually seems desirable to just not allow those
small apparent luxuries (the ability to type a slightly shorter string)
whose cost for a large number of less knowledgable or careful users 
will occasionally be quite high.  the minor savings in keystrokes 
has to be eventually invested in fixing the problems caused by the
side effects of such luxuries.