Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!oliveb!amiga!cbmvax!daveh
From: daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: AmigaDos vs Unix wildcards/pathnames
Message-ID: <6306@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: 16 Mar 89 18:29:02 GMT
References: <11241@ut-emx.UUCP>
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 80

in article <11241@ut-emx.UUCP>, mjl@ut-emx.UUCP (Maurice LeBrun) says:
> In article <6235@cbmvax.UUCP> daveh@cbmvax.UUCP (Dave Haynie) writes:
>>in article <11135@ut-emx.UUCP>, mjl@ut-emx.UUCP (Maurice LeBrun) says:

> 	[stuff deleted]

>>> 1> copy (*.c|*.h) t:    (what's wrong with `cp *.c *.h t:' ??)

>>That's a detail of the AmigaDOS copy program, not the wild card system.

> If it is too much to ask that copy be modified to allow
> multiple arguments for filenames (rename also), why not supply a
> separate 'mv' and 'cp' command for those of us who really like the
> Unix syntax?

Well, I'd really like to see the Copy command more robust.  And if you
want 'mv' and 'cp' direct equivalents, there are lots of these available
in the public domain, and they're really not that hard if you want your
own version.  But you can't expect them to be a standard part of the
AmigaDOS operating system, any more than you can expect UNIX to adopt as
standard the Copy and Rename commands with complete AmigaDOS syntax.

> There are alternate methods of specifying file-lists without
> resorting to multi-args, such as using commas to delimit files.
> Although this is an excellent idea, there is a lot of precedent to
> using spaces, and I like this syntax.  

No one's arguing this.  Since the space-parsing is already done, it
would be pretty simple to make Copy more intelligent, without introducing
more cruft.

> To sum up, I still see the following things as being important:

>  o '*' accepted as a universal wildcard

If you still think this is important, you're still missing my point.  '*' in
AmigaDOS means "stdio" or "stdin", depending on where it's used.  It's not
an AmigaDOS wild card, it's used in UNIX and MS-DOS as such (though with
slightly different meaning).  If AmigaDOS lacked that kind of wild card,
I'd say fine.  But continuing to insist on AmigaDOS adding '*' is just
reflecting your personal biases.

>  o a library exist for expansion of wildcards by utilities

Absolutely.  I don't think you'll get any disagreement on the need for a
standard system call for wildcard expansion or matching.

>  o 'copy' and 'rename' extended to allow multiargs, or perhaps provide
>    'cp' and 'mv' commands (in addition) instead.  Adding an 'mv' utility
>    might be best because 'rename' can do fun things with groups of
>    files if there are only 2 args.

Whaddya think this is, Berkeley UNIX or something.  If the Copy command
is robust enough, you don't need two or three versions.  If you don't
like the name "Copy", use an alias.  Rename is really just that, Rename.
It amounts to sending an ACTION_RENAME (or whatever it's actually called)
packet to a file handler for the file you specify first.  What I call a
"Move" command would be more robust, and actually do some additional
processing to handle things like "Rename #?.o DirectoryName" or something.
Obviously, Rename with a little more intelligence could figure out that
if I specify "Rename File Directory", I really mean "Rename File
Directory/File".  

>  o  Unix relative pathnames accepted anywhere AmigaDos pathnames are.
>     (Maybe some real incompatibilities here, I'm unsure)
>     This last thing would be nice, but probably not essential.

No, no, no!  You want UNIX, go buy UNIX.  Again, I can't see a standard
UNIX adpoting AmigaDOS path conventions, and until they do, I can't see
why AmigaDOS should adpot UNIX path conventions.  Next thing you know,
someone's going to be demanding AmigaDOS also understand the evil
VAX/VMS path conventions.  Get real!

>>Dave Haynie  "The 32 Bit Guy"     Commodore-Amiga  "The Crew That Never Rests"

> Maurice LeBrun		      |   "So then I says to Borg, `You know,
-- 
Dave Haynie  "The 32 Bit Guy"     Commodore-Amiga  "The Crew That Never Rests"
   {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh      PLINK: D-DAVE H     BIX: hazy
              Amiga -- It's not just a job, it's an obsession