ID computer

From: liste_at_artware.qc.ca <(liste_at_artware.qc.ca)>
Date: Wed May 23 14:26:30 2001

On 23-May-2001 John Foust wrote:
> At 12:55 PM 5/23/01 -0400, liste_at_artware.qc.ca wrote:
>>The longest step by far is the "vi something" to weed out the files you
>>want, which is pretty much the same as ctrl-clicking, and less error
>>prone
>>(see below).
>
> So you switched from a command line to a text-based UI of
> sorts in 'vi'.

Heh. Hadn't thought of this.
 
>>Only if you don't mess up and release the ctrl key at some inoportune
>>moment, there-by requiring you reselect everything. Also, average users
>>(as opposed to advanced) don't know that ctrl-click allows them to
>>select
>>multiple items.
>
> So clicking the mouse at the right time is considered an
> expert skill in Windows, but using 'vi' and writing scripts is
> a novice skill in Unix. :-)

Herm. That's not what I meant. Scripts and ctrl-click are mid-level
skills, imho. Ctrl-click is easier to learn, but scripts are more
powerful in the long run. Of course, scripts are programs, and J. Random
User has trouble grasping the mindset need to write programs, so they
require easier tools.

Now say the challenge is selecting 100 files out 10000 that are in
multiple sub-directories, with regular file names (ie, pattern
matchable). This is when find + xargs will win over point and click.

-Philip
Received on Wed May 23 2001 - 14:26:30 BST