From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.8 required=5.0 tests=DKIM_ADSP_CUSTOM_MED, DKIM_INVALID,DKIM_SIGNED,FREEMAIL_FROM,HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI, RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 Received: (qmail 21552 invoked from network); 4 Jan 2021 09:08:21 -0000 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (45.79.103.53) by inbox.vuxu.org with ESMTPUTF8; 4 Jan 2021 09:08:21 -0000 Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 326BD9C81D; Mon, 4 Jan 2021 19:08:20 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E2E759C7D8; Mon, 4 Jan 2021 19:08:00 +1000 (AEST) Authentication-Results: minnie.tuhs.org; dkim=fail reason="signature verification failed" (2048-bit key; unprotected) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="nhTCpGmG"; dkim-atps=neutral Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id C72849C7D8; Mon, 4 Jan 2021 19:07:57 +1000 (AEST) Received: from mail-lf1-f50.google.com (mail-lf1-f50.google.com [209.85.167.50]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id EE72B9C7D7 for ; Mon, 4 Jan 2021 19:07:56 +1000 (AEST) Received: by mail-lf1-f50.google.com with SMTP id h205so62640166lfd.5 for ; Mon, 04 Jan 2021 01:07:56 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date:message-id:subject:to :cc; bh=1fbnvWZR5yPgDMYbaLN3peGF1Z/JsaZm6Oe45HEq2j0=; b=nhTCpGmGEYIJBc/0GXAxa23ykHbKwFcuZPuiq08mvCA/CIMle+wn4tRmltoh/gRyjk Vc16Qc9SaEBBjLXzdOOt1xKmJmorfl2Mhfoj0bY2p44d1YVsyOKQ7UjhRwCdBKFVLZW5 Q4OnjdLLXHDdJMPe/0jAh8lM+8szANukc/o+EMrOcnk/DiyFwalE8RxVf7GWvfGDiCNP 1NvFUudK5fmrb2xLcgt479yAxUsdX5W2ESTW8f2l/phFxQGk1rQUKiywTdD8gfwzBCw/ IqqFaFPYQr5x738VeNt6lPyUHSS0122N/8SRmdmhiVKuQ02w70BOKvcMYHFVrgagEWmy 52WQ== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:references:in-reply-to:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc; bh=1fbnvWZR5yPgDMYbaLN3peGF1Z/JsaZm6Oe45HEq2j0=; b=ogoOx3SsY4anPrahnbioPXlaXAbdlqSQxXvU79ypDOUhiaqGMFXuVBmVrLpkUA0RF9 GeybWf1MzFsBJxixxW5VKOZ0hwTZ8m4bHsUA5eL/oz9GwlUv9f+Pf8bMtewJh+mjhMd8 79VVuiSHAvZHPyt2xeCwob0BF/5Xzq/234CE6OFmjpy+lEnxT+r094BH7tzcjvu71r0h PN9MH8LboNi6M7Y9UjTW+f/+9MdGyiwCyDNcUZ4e7OXXt4LI/vCBDMT59cvKENMoMZ53 Qyam/ABfhr0/TlpOj8kJNqvVOB/Jih9tOCEGc7/yKpQynhSbl0Sqli8RcytIIXJFCLVI Qh9Q== X-Gm-Message-State: AOAM530xKmzOboanyB4OR6S8H9SC7Fh7YQDWjDHniUzDI5PF5A4451LH 9+VjEAVH1uEHc0L2XG3uXzhEf0uED1rK68cFxW0= X-Google-Smtp-Source: ABdhPJyMoh0OrY0AEcDVvrWEDdabvK5UFAuydjIKJ031Axb/y3UZraxu1hIa0Ul33ZaT8R672ElcOVV+98WJBDSe8eI= X-Received: by 2002:a19:e215:: with SMTP id z21mr30253804lfg.620.1609751275326; Mon, 04 Jan 2021 01:07:55 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 References: In-Reply-To: From: Rob Pike Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2021 20:07:43 +1100 Message-ID: To: Ed Bradford Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000f1529505b80f6ceb" Subject: Re: [TUHS] Question 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: , Cc: UNIX Heritage Society Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" --000000000000f1529505b80f6ceb Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" That was done by Tom Duff, I believe before he came to Bell Labs. I might have brought the idea with me from Toronto. The code, or at least a simple version of it, is in The Unix Programming Environment starting around page 208. We credit Tom in the endnotes for the chapter. -rob On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 8:00 PM Ed Bradford wrote: > Thank you for responding. My recollection is that one of your > folks put the spelling corrector into the shell so when I typed > the wrong letters for a directory or file, the spelling correct > would help. It was particularly noticible in the "chdir - cd" shell > command. Do you recall any such person and if so, did he (and it > was a he) use Peter's work? > > There was a distance algorithm that was far better than anything I've seen > since. Yes, please send me Peter's contact information. > > I am > > Ed Bradford, Ph.D. Physics, retired from IBM > Pflugerville,TX > egbegb2@gmail.com > > PS: We chatted sometime in 1980 or so about > adding database capabilities to the interactive > environment. I was interested in adding it to > the Bourne Shell at the time. > > On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 2:23 PM M Douglas McIlroy < > m.douglas.mcilroy@dartmouth.edu> wrote: > >> > I was a BTL person for 8 years between 1976 and 1984. During >> > that time there was a spelling corrector that was better than >> > anything I see today. There was a concept of "spelling distance" >> > that corrected a whole bunch of stuff that even today cannot be > >> corrected. >> >> > Who in that era worked on spelling correction at BTL. I was at >> > Columbus BTL (1976-1979) and Whippany BTL (1979-1984). >> >> Peter Nelson made an interface to spell(1) that showed putative errors in >> context. I believe it could suggest corrections. I remember the project; I >> installed hooks for it in spell(1). I don't remember the date, but it would >> probably not have been early enough for you to have used it in Columbus. >> >> If there's a chance that Peter's program is the one you remember >> and you'd like to get in touch with him, I can give you his >> email address. >> >> Doug >> > > > -- > Advice is judged by results, not by intentions. > Cicero > > --000000000000f1529505b80f6ceb Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
That was done by Tom Duff, I believe before he came to Bel= l Labs. I might have brought the idea with me from Toronto. The code, or at= least a simple version of it, is in The Unix Programming Environment start= ing around page 208. We credit Tom in the endnotes for the chapter.
-rob


<= div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jan 4, 2021 at 8:00 PM Ed Brad= ford <egbegb2@gmail.com> wro= te:
Thank you for responding. My recollection is that one of your
folks put t= he spelling corrector into the shell so when I typed
the wrong letters for= a directory or file, the spelling correct
would=C2=A0help. It was particu= larly noticible=C2=A0in the "chdir - cd" shell
command. Do you r= ecall any such person and if so, did he (and it
was a he) use Peter's = work?

There was a distance algorithm that was far better than anythi= ng I've seen
since. Yes, please send me Peter's contact informatio= n.

I am

Ed Bradford, Ph.D. Physics, retired from IBM
Pfluger= ville,TX
egbegb2@gm= ail.com

PS: We chatted sometime in 1980 or so about
adding data= base capabilities to the interactive
environment. I was interested in addi= ng it to
the Bourne Shell at the time.

On Sun, Jan 3, 2021 at 2:23 PM= M Douglas McIlroy <m.douglas.mcilroy@dartmouth.edu> wrote:
> I was a BTL person for 8 years between 1976 and 1984. During
>= ; that time there was a spelling corrector that was better than
> anyth= ing I see today. There was a concept of "spelling distance"
=
>= that corrected a whole bunch of stuff that even today cannot be > corre= cted.

> Who in that era worked on spelling correction at BTL. I w= as at
> Columbus BTL (1976-1979) and Whippany BTL (1979-1984).
Peter Nelson made an interface to spell(1) that showed putative errors i= n context. I believe it could suggest corrections. I remember the project; = I installed hooks for it in spell(1). I don't remember the date, but it= would probably not have been early enough for you to=C2=A0have used it in = Columbus.

If there's a chance that Peter's program is the on= e you remember
and you'd like to get in touch with him, I can give you= his
email address.

Doug


--
Advice is judged by results, not by intentions.
=C2=A0= Cicero

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