[Info-vax] Long uptime cut short by Hurricane Sandy

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <keg9fq$phc$1 at news.albasani.net>,
	Jan-Erik Soderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> writes:
>> In article <an0jjrFduj7U1 at mid.individual.net>, billg999 at cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) writes:
>>> In article <00ACE364.926A71CC at sendspamhere.org>,
>>> 	VAXman-  @SendSpamHere.ORG writes:
>>>> In article <keerfn$i53$1 at dont-email.me>, David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>>>>> VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> In DCL, one can delete a character from a string with - (subtract) and one
>>>>>> can add strings with a "+" (just like in Hoff's bash example!).  I can, for
>>>>>> example, remove the "$" in this string: "This is a $ sign." with -"$".  In
>>>>>> DCL, the subtract character will delete the very first occurrance of said
>>>>>> character that's specified when encountered in the string.  If no character
>>>>>> is found, nothing is done.  HB pointed out that using the ()s would define
>>>>>> the scope better but I assumed no "funny" characters would be in the file
>>>>>> prefix.  The multiple -"-" -"-" remove the dashes in the time and the -":"
>>>>>> -":" remove the colons in the time.  Surely, you could see that if you'd
>>>>>> have tried to understand it instead of choosing to denigrate DCL.
>>>>>
>>>>> Yep, that's where I've used it.  When you got procedures that run often
>>>>> and you need files with a date and time stamp in the filename it's very
>>>>> useful.  But if you don't use it often, it does (at least for me) stop
>>>>> you when you're skimming through DCL code.  Even if you're aware of what
>>>>> it does, I still have to stop and think about it.
>>>>>
>>>>>> A lack of understanding of the semantics doesn't make it cryptic.
>>>>>
>>>>> Actually, for me it does, but, if it was preceded by something such as:
>>>>>
>>>>> $! Build a filename with date stamp without the dashes and colens
>>>>
>>>> Certainly... and an unnecessary I/O too!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Then the DCL code would be much easier to follow ....
>>>>>
>>>>> My DCL code has lots of comments, but to be fair (I hate doing that) the
>>>>> bash code would  benefit from comments also.
>>>>
>>>> I've seen more comments in DCL procedures than I've seen in bash scripts!
>>>
>>> Is that the scripting tools fault?
>>
> 
> That it should be anyones fault implies that it is a problem.
> Better programmers simply write more comments.
 
I agree 100%.  The need for comments to make a program understandable is
totally language agnostic.

bill


-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>