Can something like Script be done in System V?

Mike Schloss mike at enmasse.UUCP
Mon Jul 1 07:02:04 AEST 1985


>                                        The point still remains that
> designing a screen editor so that it runs "just as well" with its input
> redirected to a pipe or file doesn't serve much purpose; if you want an
> editor that talks to programs or files, write an editor intended to be
> talked to by computer programs, not people.  People are good at things that
> computers are very bad at and *vice versa*, so the quality of the user
> interface of an interactive tool should *not* be sacrificed in the name of
> "making it work with its input redirected".
> 

What about all the "novice" and not so novice users who dont want to be
bothered learning 14 different editors for different purposes.  They learn
the one they use primarily (VI) well and want to be able to use it for
their occasional repetative editing scripts.  Who cares if it is fast
or produces bogus messages as long as they dont have to spend hours tracking
down documentation and learning a new editor which they are going to
forget anyway.  No qualities have to be sacrificed if the program is
well thought out in advance and properly implemented.  The excuse that
it takes less time to do it sloppily and no one will notice and if they
do they shouldnt be doing that anyway just doesn't cut it.


					Mike Schloss



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