RE**n: unix command syntax

[Paul Placeway]

< *FIX YOUR SOFTWARE* >

I am setting up a very fancy version of csh and the unix environment as a
project here at Ohio State, and I have had experience with both Unix(tm AT&T)
and Tops-20(tm DEC).  One aspect of the project is to clean up the command
syntax into something rational (single letter flags considered harmful).
Since it's my project, I can enforce conformance to the rules (yes, that
meens changing hundreds of programs), and I don't aggree with some of the
commities guidelines anyway.  Here is (in a nut-shell) my 'standard' for
general commands:

   command <global switches> [ filename <local switches> ...]

   <global switches> ::= (a repitition of)
			 -name
		     or  -name:value

   <local switches> ::= <global switches>

   (the least length unambigous switch name == full switch name)

Thus:
	ls -la ~foo
becomes:

	directory -long -all ~foo

and can be abbreviated:

	dir -l -a ~foo

I am submitting this asking for comments (but no "follow the standard"
please) from any and all.

					Paul W. Placeway
					The Ohio State University IRCC
					(UUCP: cbosgd!osu-dbs!paul)
					(CSNet: paul at ohio-state)

ps: looks sort of like Tops-20, doesn't it?