Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!netnews.upenn.edu!jes From: jes@mbio.med.upenn.edu (Joe Smith) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: VMS: logicals UNIX: links, but... Message-ID: Date: 11 Apr 89 22:20:40 GMT References: <475@caldwr.UUCP> <810035@hpsemc.HP.COM> Sender: news@netnews.upenn.edu Organization: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Lines: 18 In-reply-to: gph@hpsemc.HP.COM's message of 10 Apr 89 17:48:32 GMT I've also wondered if VMS-style logicals are something missing from UNIX. But I came to the conclusion that environment variables could function almost as well, given a program that was _designed_ to use them. Are you sure that there are situations that a properly designed program CAN'T work with environment variables? Aren't there examples of UNIX programs/systems as complex as you describe that work (I'm asking, I don't know the answer)? If it's program design that's the problem, let's not discuss "fixing" UNIX.