Re: [9fans] help, i'm in a wet paper bag and I can't get out

["Boyd Roberts" <boyd@fr.inter.net>]

> still, i'm not sure that shell scripts are the right place to be
> implementing network protocols (although i can't say i'm entirely
> innocent). dhog made a good suggestion:  that way you can run your
> program on any system supported by inferno, which is a nice bonus.

neither am i.  for the current irc thing i think limbo would be a
more efficient and more secure choice.  that damn irc protocol seems
to be in rfc limbo (no pun intended).  i wouldn't like some piece
of unforseen braindamage to break your script.

rc is a lot more bulletproof than the shell, but scripts executing
stuff that 3rd parties hand up is fraught with peril; you just don't
have the conscise, fine grained analysis that limbo gives you.

you could probably do it with rc, but it would be large chunks
of code to do the string mangling/validation and that leaves you
open to screwups.

1000 line scripts are not your friends.