Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!bsu-cs!dhesi
From: dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: MS-DOS puzzle #1
Message-ID: <6893@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
Date: 22 Apr 89 01:44:04 GMT
Reply-To: dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi)
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 17

Here is a puzzle.  First read the question and answer.  Then solve
the puzzle that follows.

     Question:  Why does COMMAND.COM allow redirection of standard
     input and standard output, but not standard error?

     Answer:  MS-DOS, unlike UNIX, doesn't have a fork() system call;
     therefore the MS-DOS command interpreter, unlike the
     UNIX shell, can't redirect standard error.

THE PUZZLE.  Does the above make any sense?  If it does, why?  If it
does not, what is the real answer to the question?

I have an answer already, which I will post after a while.
-- 
Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
UUCP:    ...!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi