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

[David Froble]

VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
> In article <kermfk$i2b$1 at dont-email.me>, David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>> VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>> In article <ker9jj$nbi$1 at dont-email.me>, Stephen Hoffman <seaohveh at hoffmanlabs.invalid> writes:
>>>> On 2013-02-05 02:17:28 +0000, AEF said:
>>>>
>>>>> On Feb 3, 3:31 pm, Stephen Hoffman <seaoh... at hoffmanlabs.invalid>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> Environment variables aren't a direct match to logical names.
>>>>>> Similarities, yes, but there also are substantive differences, too.
>>>>> Close enough for this. I just need to be able to use the variable as
>>>>> part of a path.
>>>>>
>>>>> Seems to me that at the most basic level, logical names are
>>>>> environment variables, in a sense anyway. Now, they have a much richer
>>>>> structure, with the different tables of varying scope, the various
>>>>> access modes, search lists, and what not. Their chief use is in
>>>>> device- and file-specs, of course. But they're also used in MAIL, for
>>>>> queues, for storing data, and more. So it's just a matter of what's
>>>>> translating them in what context. There's the automatic translation
>>>>> when part of a generalized file-spec, and automatic translation in
>>>>> certain other contexts. That's all different from environment
>>>>> variables in Unix. But I don't need all that for this. I just need the
>>>>> ability to have something I can use in a path.
>>>> So you are seeking a key-value data store, something that logical names 
>>>> classically excel at stinking at.
>>>>
>>>> Logical names got us the morass that is the DEC C feature logical 
>>>> names, after all.
>>> Logical names did not create the morass.  
>>>
>>>
>> Agreed.
>>
>> Many things (tools) can be misused.  It's not the fault of the tool.
>>
>> Just because you can drive a screw with a big enough hammer is not the 
>> fault of either the screw or the hammer.
> 
> Aye!  And when all you have is a hammer, all the problems look like nails!

Ah, but while I have a few rarely used hammers laying around, I have 4 
cordless drills, usable as screwdrivers.  Alas, only 2 hands ....