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Article: 220 of comp.lang.tcl
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From: trier@odin.INS.CWRU.Edu (Stephen C. Trier)
Subject: Re: Tcl for MacOS: handling Unixisms
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Date: Sat, 1 Feb 92 05:36:08 GMT
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David Herron writes:
>The user is going to be accustomed to using a file name syntax
>that is particular to their own system.  By forcing them into
>a different syntax you're violating the principle of least surprise.

I agree.  My port of TCL did not force the user to use Unix-style paths.
I merely documented the ability to use these paths.  The capability is
actually a little-documented feature of the operating system and is
available in many programs.  (It's just not available in the standard
MS-DOS utilities.  MS intentionally broke it in the name of Compatibility
with MS-DOS 1.x and CP/M-80.)

I would argue that the Mac version should accept Mac-style paths.
Paths hard-coded into a TCL program will need to be converted anyway,
and changing them from a Unix-style notation to a Mac notation will
be only a minor problem.

At worst, there could be a runtime switch to select between Mac-style
and Unix-style paths, but I would strongly encourage the port author
to implement paths in an MPW-ish style.

There is no reason to force programmers, and the users who end up with
their programs, to use an unfamiliar and inappropriate filename syntax.

><- As for the prevalence of gratuitous stupidity in modern life, well,
><- need I say more than "MS-DOS"? -- Bill Janssen

Hmmmm...  :-)

-- 
Stephen Trier          "A tax is a compulsory payment for which no specific
CWRU IRIS/INS           benefit is received."
trier@ins.cwru.edu               - United States Department of the Treasury