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

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2013-02-06 04:34, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
> In article <kes0hc$ghh$2 at dont-email.me>,
> 	David Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> writes:
>> VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote:
>>> In article <kermfk$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 ....
>
> You ought to look in my toolbox.  I have at least 10 hammers, all different
> and all intended for different jobs.  Hammers don't just drive nails.  And
> even in that case, there is not one hammer to drive all nails.
>
> Maybe the old hammer/nail analogy is not as good as most people think.

Me thinks you missed the point of the hammer/nail analogy.
If you only have *a hammer*, then every problem looks like a nail. As 
soon as you even have several hammers, you are no longer inside the 
scope of the analogy. Stop having several tools... :-)

If you only have one hammer, you will use it to drive all nails. Believe 
me...

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol