[Info-vax] Radical command line suggestion

[Matthew H McKenzie]

Well not the bash-like autocomplete many Linux distributions allow, but 
context sensitive help.
"Matthew H McKenzie" <news.deleteme at swellhunter.org> wrote in message 
news:gJSNw.2053303$eZ4.2023061 at fx02.fr7...
> The AWS CLI also does this so other great minds agree.
>
> "David Froble" <davef at tsoft-inc.com> wrote in message 
> news:me8gks$mgn$1 at dont-email.me...
>> JF Mezei wrote:
>>> Since I have never been accused of being normal, I am allowed wacky
>>> ideas from time to time...
>>
>> One doesn't necessarily allow the other ...
>>
>>> In ios (the cisco one), typing ? on the command line gives you list of
>>> options at this point of entering command:
>>>
>>> router1(config)#ip access ?
>>>   extended    Extended Access List
>>>   log-update  Control access list log updates
>>>   logging     Control access list logging
>>>   resequence  Resequence Access List
>>>   standard    Standard Access List
>>>
>>> router1(config)#ip access
>>>
>>> so you can then continue to enter command .
>>>
>>> Imagine if DCLTABLES.EXE had a short description for each qualifier, it
>>> should theoretically be possible for DCL to give you a list of valid
>>> arguments and qualifiers along with short explanation  based on what you
>>> have entered so far.
>>>
>>> And say you are on a decterm, pressing some special key could pop up a
>>> window where the command's full pedigree would be available and you
>>> could click on whaver options you wanted with the display adapting as
>>> you go along. ( so "delele" followed by the key would pop up a DELETE
>>> window along with options such as  file, /QUEUE, /ENTRY, etc. You click
>>> on file, and you then get a place to enter text for filename(s), as well
>>> as qualifiers for command and for each file (if applicable)
>>>
>>>
>>> This would be a really great tool for command you don't use often, and
>>> especially for newbies.
>>>
>>> For all the discussions about DCL needing a rework, one thing VMS has
>>> that unix doesn't is that the DCL command line knows about commands due
>>> to DCLTABLES.exe and can help you enter such commands.
>>>
>>> You have this very long command and hate the terminal driver's inability
>>> to wrap properly ? press that key and you get the pop up window where
>>> the command is all there and you can then easily modify infividual
>>> items/qualifiers in the command because they are all broken  out on
>>> their own fields/lines.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Visual Basic has something like this.  Enter the name of a control, and a 
>> dot, and start on a property, enter tab, and it will complete the 
>> property, or, you can also get a list of valid properties, use the arrows 
>> to traverse the list, and hit <CR> (or maybe Tab) to select an item. 
>> Can't remember details, it's been a while ....
>>
>> But, the proper thing for VMS would be to use the help library.  This 
>> would do several things.  For one, there would be only one place the help 
>> comes from, avoiding the possibility of mis-matched help.  Also, it's 
>> already there.
>>
>> Of course, this means that the CLI knows what you're typing before you 
>> hit <CR>.  You might want this on a development system, but, do you want 
>> to eat valuable CPU cycles on a production system?  Should not be doing 
>> much weird stuff on a production system, it should be tested elsewhere, 
>> and anything not normal is "weird stuff" on a production system.
>>
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