[Info-vax] VMS Features I Wish Linux Had

[Bob Koehler]

In article <njmdvo$vo0$1 at Iltempo.Update.UU.SE>, Johnny Billquist <bqt at softjar.se> writes:
> On 2016-06-13 14:59, Bob Koehler wrote:
>> In article <njeel9$fq3$1 at dont-email.me>, "John E. Malmberg" <wb8tyw at qsl.net_work> writes:
>>>
>>> One issue with the VMS terminal line editing is because it is handled in
>>> the driver, it does not have access to the filesystem to allow it to do
>>> filename completion.
>>
>>    Which belongs in the CLI, not the terminal driver.  The CLI should be
>>    doing it's own command line editing,instead of leaning on the limited
>>    editing in the driver.
> 
> I don't agree. I want command line editing, no matter if I'm at the CLI, 
> or in some user application. And I do not consider it to be a good 
> system design that every program should include their own version of 
> commmand line editing.

   Putting editing into the CLI does not mean it has to be removed from
   the terminal driver.  But the terminal driver is a limited context
   and should only be used for limited purposes.

   I've got UNIX shells that will let me make use of most of the power
   of vi (oxymoron), or emacs.  I see no reason why all that should be
   in a driver.  But I also don't want a driver that provides only the
   functions of a card punch.