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From: Bengt Kleberg <bengt@softwell.se>
To: rc@hawkwind.utcs.toronto.edu
Subject: Re: rc futures
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2000 10:46:06 -0500	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <200001031544.QAA28543@trillian.softwell.se> (raw)

Greetings,

After a (too long) delay I offer my comments to the rc-2.0 wish-list.
Points where I have no comment are just left out.

> 2. Compile-time limit on `;' separated commands in a line.

Good idea, it would be nice to remove built-in limits, and just leave te hard ones (RAM/swap space).

> 4. `shift' only works on `$*'.

Yes, please add this to the documentation. I needed it a few days ago (last millenium :-), and could
not invent it.

> 8 & 9, 12. Strange handling of parentheses.

Since my misunderstanding of while () {} probably started this thread I would like to add that I now
understand that syntax errors from
while (()) {}
is a feature and not a bug. However, it is confusing and should merit a comment in the documentation
of while/if/for

> 10. `$PATH' versus `$path'.

Please let $path inherit from $PATH, and also assigments to $path be reflected back to $PATH. I would much prefer to
think of them as always having the same value.

> 11. `.' should search `$path'.

Actually, I do not think so. I think it should not.

> 16. Make `*' match files beginning with `.'

Please do not.

> 17. Improved error reporting

Yes. A error report like
script-name:line-number 'error'
would be very useful.

> 19. Discard autoconf and automake.

Yes please. If this is 'a waste of time' for skilled programmers, consider using my time (it can be wasted upon such activities :-)

\x1f> 20. ~ expansion.

If absolutly neccessary, please make it a compile time option.

> 21. Add a command line flag that turns off free carets.

If I remember correctly this is a compile time option already. That is surely enough.

> 23. Dynamically load readline only when rc

Please do not. How about suggesting 2 rc shells in the documentation instead? One for scripts, and one for interactive use.
The latter with readline, the former without.

> 25. Gert-Jan Vons complains that using `=' in a command's arguments

It is ok as it is. I have gotten used to it.

> 26. Better testing.

Very good idea. Any thing in particular you want a test for?

> 27. Smaller, faster, cheaper.

Make this #1.


And finally, for my personal enjoyment: How about re-introducing

if not {}

as an alternative to

} else { }

I have 1 need for this, and I really think it would be nice to have both possiblities.


Best Wishes, Bengt
===============================================================
Everything aforementioned should be regarded as totally private
opinions, and nothing else. bengt@softwell.se
``His great strength is that he is uncompromising. It would make
him physically ill to think of programming in C++.''


             reply	other threads:[~2000-01-05 23:50 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 21+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2000-01-03 15:46 Bengt Kleberg [this message]
  -- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2000-01-14 12:20 Bengt Kleberg
2000-01-14 12:16 Bengt Kleberg
2000-01-12 21:34 Chet Ramey
2000-01-01  2:55 ` Paul Haahr
2000-01-12 14:22 Bengt Kleberg
1999-12-16 16:40 Chet Ramey
1999-12-16 12:43 Smarasderagd
1999-12-19 11:06 ` Steve Kilbane
1999-12-22  0:00   ` Christopher Vance
1999-12-15 16:32 Russ Cox
1999-12-14  9:44 Byron Rakitzis
1999-12-13 12:55 Elliott Hughes
1999-12-10 16:55 Tim Goodwin
1999-12-13 18:54 ` Paul Haahr
2000-01-04 16:43   ` Tim Goodwin
1999-12-31 23:26     ` Paul Haahr
1999-12-15  0:17 ` Chris Siebenmann
2000-01-07  3:45 ` Decklin Foster
2000-01-01  4:20   ` Paul Haahr
2000-01-15  8:58     ` Steve Kilbane

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