Re: [9fans] v8 shell

[George Michaelson <ggm@apnic.net>]

>
> for example, the 'builtin' trick in modern shells comes out of the v8
> shell but the other half is missing.
>
> korn shell or bash:
>
> 	$ type cd
> 	cd is a shell builtin
> 	$
>
> v8 shell:
>
> 	$ whatis cd
> 	builtin cd
> 	$
>
> see the difference? the latter is executable code.  why was it important
> to `fix' this in the committee?  bitterness rules.

I found I had to set the PS1 and PS2 to be known shell comment markers to get
things work work sanely when I played with this in shell a while back, and even
then it wasn't very good. Its unfortunate that the $ is also a leadin to
variable expansion, if it was functionally more like ; or :; it would have made
it easier to snarf entire sequences of commands from screens.

>
> maybe that's why rc happened.  probably was a factor.  i know i asked
> td to design rc, but i also did the work in creating the v8 shell. i
> don't really remember.
>
> -rob

like many people, I haven't been able to face the terminal moraine of rc, to get
to the mountain tops behind it. If only there was a budget for clue, and a
market for selling it in this area.

-George


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George Michaelson       |  APNIC
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