[Info-vax] That's the way it worked in 26 bits! [was Re: Suggested DCL enhancement]

[Dave Froble]

On 11/4/2020 5:13 PM, Rich Alderson wrote:
> Simon Clubley <clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes:
>
>> Here's an idea for a DCL enhancement: implement a control character that
>> when typed causes DCL to dump all the valid options or keywords available
>> at that point by reading from the CLD.
>>
>> For example, typing:
>>
>> 	$ show device <Ctrl-P>
>>
>> where <Ctrl-P> is the control character, would result in a list of all
>> the qualifiers (along with any optional arguments to the qualifiers)
>> that can be used at that point. The CLD format could also be enhanced
>> with a single-line help text per qualifier that would also be displayed
>> as part of the output.
>>
>> The output would also show that a parameter, labeled as (for example)
>> "Device_Name", could be supplied at this point as well.
>>
>> Likewise, typing:
>>
>> 	$ show d<Ctrl-P>
>>
>> (with no space between the "d" and the Ctrl-P) would show all the valid
>> options beginning with "d" at that point.
>>
>> Any comments ?
>
> VMS Engineering will never go for it, because that's the way it works in the
> TOPS-20 EXEC:  Type a ? to get possible follow-ons at any point in the command
> line.  And what's more, any user mode program which uses the COMND% JSYS
> ("system call") gets exactly the same behavior.
>
> But Bell's scions will never go for it...
>
> :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
>
> (Hi, Clair!)
>

Rich, what's happening with the museum?

I noticed that Paul's heirs weren't too happy with the space launch 
endeavor.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
DFE Ultralights, Inc.
170 Grimplin Road
Vanderbilt, PA  15486