Tim Shoppa wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 30 Jan 1998 SUPRDAVE_at_aol.com wrote:
> >
> > > look inside your ][+ and see if you have a language card. if so, you have the
> > > 64k needed to run prodos. the latest and greatest version of prodos 8 won't
> > > run on a ][+ i think, only an enjanced //e. if you dont, you can only run dos
> > > 3.3 i myself prefer both. i remember when prodos first came out and everyone
> > > had an issue with the restrictive 15 character limit for filenames. that was
> > > back before i worked with mess-dos and that 8.3 filename limit...
> >
> > The silliest thing they did was restrict spaces in filenames. You had to
> > use a period instead. Blech. Its funny when you think about it.
> > Intuitively and I'm sure without really think about it, Apple developed a
> > very human interface with DOS by allowing one to save files with very
> > readable names. Ie: "BIORHYTHM PROGRAM" or "PROGRAM TO BALANCE CHECKBOOK"
> > (30 character limit). Then with ProDOS, they regressed into the
> > function-forces-form syndrome by limiting filenames to 15 characters and
> > requiring periods in place of spaces.
>
> Under Apple DOS 3.3, you can have anything in a filename you want.
> Control characters, inverse/flashing, the works. Makes for some
> pretty neat CATALOG listings, and is actually semi-workable as
> a "security through obscurity" step (though every Junior High kid
> knew how to bypass it...)
>
> DOS 3.3 made it easy and convenient to access filenames with embedded
> spaces. Too bad Unix shell command lines are traditionally brain-damaged
> such that spaces in filenames must be quoted.
Sorry, but what _else_ were we supposed to do to allow multiple
filenames as command arguments? Use something else to separate
words on the command line? No, I was not one of the original
implementors of the Unix shell. However I don't know what the
problem is. Say you've got three files in the current directory,
"red", "green" and "red green". What is 'rm red green' supposed
to do? I may not like the 14 character limit on filenames of the
old *nixen (and spaces _could_ be imbedded in filenames if you
knew how and wanted to piss off the sysadmin), but the space in the
filename gave its life for a decent command interpreter.
--
Ward Griffiths
Dylan: How many years must some people exist,
before they're allowed to be free?
WDG3rd: If they "must" exist until they're "allowed",
they'll never be free.
Received on Sat Jan 31 1998 - 02:06:13 GMT