RE: Scripting Additions: Embracing the Horror of Unix
RE: Scripting Additions: Embracing the Horror of Unix
- Subject: RE: Scripting Additions: Embracing the Horror of Unix
- From: "Stockly, Ed" <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002 18:43:32 -0800
>>>bear in mind that unix commands are not a "language" per se.
No, but they do have a syntax and a structure. I'm not sure when a collection of related commands starts being considered a language so I don't argue with you there.
>>>>it sounds like you are suggesting reimplementation every one
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of hundreds of separate applications (which is what unix
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commands are), all of which were written for a fundamentally
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different environment (not just command line argument
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syntax, but also the byte-stream philosophy) just so you can
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use one awkward syntax instead of another?
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Well, I guess that's one way of putting it. I thought I was suggesting designing a scripting interface for those commands (much as a user interface is being designed) that provides the same functionality but with a clean and pure AppleScript syntax.
Oh, and the advantage of using one awkward syntax instead of another is that if it's done as AppleScript and done right you only need to learn one syntax which IMHO is better than forcing scripters to learn multiple syntaxes in order to accomplish simple tasks. (Personally I don't find AppleScript syntax awkward at all, but to each his own).
>>>this would be a huge project, with little apparent benefit, considering one can do it all today if one can bear to mix two different syntaxes .
yuk : (
>>>i think part of the problem is wanting the capabilities of
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unix without having to understand unix.
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I don't see that as a problem... I see it as a virtue.
>>>i like using AppleEvents to manipulate applications (i do it more in Frontier/Radio than in AppleScript), but unix shell commands serve a different purpose and i don't see the point of trying to "port unix to AppleScript".
I think that expresses things very well.
The crux of the argument here is how should Apple and developers expend their precious and limited resources, time and money?
It sounds like you're saying 'don't put too much effort in making the Unix commands and Unix Scripting available in pure AppleScript syntax because you don't need it and efforts could be better spent in other areas.'
I'm saying the opposite, that's it crucial for Apple and developers to make all (or as much a practical and useful) of the Unix commands and scripting available to AppleScripters with a pure and true AppleScript syntax. Otherwise the only people scripting Mac OS X will be those comfortable with Unix and Frontier and Perl etc. and Apple will lose an important segment of it's market.
I think they call that segment "The rest of us."
ES