From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id 48e9c2fa for ; Sat, 4 Jan 2020 21:53:29 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id BE84C95170; Sun, 5 Jan 2020 07:53:27 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 497FF9516B; Sun, 5 Jan 2020 07:53:08 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id AB7BA9516B; Sun, 5 Jan 2020 07:53:05 +1000 (AEST) X-Greylist: delayed 2815 seconds by postgrey-1.36 at minnie.tuhs.org; Sun, 05 Jan 2020 07:53:05 AEST Received: from fourwinds.com (fourwinds.com [63.64.179.162]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 589B395165 for ; Sun, 5 Jan 2020 07:53:05 +1000 (AEST) Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTPS id 004L69xn448387 (version=TLSv1.3 cipher=TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 bits=256 verify=NOT) for ; Sat, 4 Jan 2020 13:06:09 -0800 Received: from darkstar.fourwinds.com (jon@localhost) by darkstar.fourwinds.com (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) with ESMTP id 004L69C1448350 for ; Sat, 4 Jan 2020 13:06:09 -0800 Message-Id: <202001042106.004L69C1448350@darkstar.fourwinds.com> From: Jon Steinhart To: The Eunuchs Hysterical Society In-reply-to: References: <202001040258.0042wuic1359237@mail.cs.dartmouth.edu> <1ingL0-5g6-00@marmaro.de> Comments: In-reply-to Dave Horsfall message dated "Sun, 05 Jan 2020 08:02:08 +1100." MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-ID: <448345.1578171969.1@darkstar.fourwinds.com> Date: Sat, 04 Jan 2020 13:06:09 -0800 X-JON-SPAM: local delivery Subject: Re: [TUHS] sh: cmd | >file X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.26 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" Dave Horsfall writes: > On Sat, 4 Jan 2020, markus schnalke wrote: > > > My question was not about the use cases for ``>file'' but *why* it was > > made a simple command. Let me explain: > > > > One creates an empty file or truncates a file with: > > > > >file > > > > why not with: > > > > :>file > > ? > > > > To me it looks to be the more sensible ... more regular way. > > The Unix philosophy, perhaps i.e. keep it simple? Why have ":" (an actual > internal Shell command) when "" (the null command) will do the job? > > I guess only the Bell Labs bods here can answer this. > > -- Dave Don't know if Steve Bourne is on this list, but he's been a great source of information when I've had questions about why the shell did things the way it did. Jon