[Info-vax] Suggestion: Adding a /SORT option to DIRECTORY and F$SEARCH ?

[Dave Froble]

On 1/27/2022 11:59 AM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 1/27/2022 11:25 AM, John Reagan wrote:
>> On Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 3:39:38 AM UTC-5, Dave Froble wrote:
>>> On 1/26/2022 9:51 PM, dthi... at gmail.com wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It would be nice to be able to see the output from a DIRECTORY command
>>>>> optionally sorted by one of largest size, smallest size, oldest date,
>>>>> newest date, etc.
>>>>
>>>> This sounds like a good opportunity for some community-contributed software
>>>> (like the old DECUS Library). :-))
>>>> IIRC, there have been modified directory-like program submissions in the past.
>>> Nah, today's users want the vendor to do all the work ...
>>>> Write a new program, DIRECTORY2 and a CLD file to do what you'd like the
>>>> modified DIRECTORY to do, either using:
>>>> 1) Existing DIRECTORY source code from VSI, in whatever language it's
>>>> written in, and enhance it the way you want, OR
>>>> 2) Create new program code in C, calling system routines to do the work.
>>> Why C, when there are better languages?
>>
>> If you are about to use the B-word, better is relative.
>
> Obviously.
>
> But not everybody is in love with C.
>
> Personally I consider C a fine language for OS kernel development
> but not so great a language for more regular applications. And
> DIR is really an application.
>
> I am not good at VMS Basic, so I would prefer VMS Pascal.
>
> :-)
>
>> And if there was such an important tool in BASIC, would have needed
>> Macro, C, BLISS AND BASIC compilers (and their nightmare RTLs) in the
>> development path.  I don't want another critical, proprietary tool in
>> the system.
> Is that current VSI policy: VMS build should only depend on Macro-32,
> Macro-native, Bliss and C?

How I read it is that John doesn't like anything in that list.  But perhaps my 
reading comprehension is lacking.  Would not be the first time.

:-)

I believe that the VSI policy is to use only the custom version of C they have 
for all new VMS work.  I also agree with this concept, regardless of my feelings 
about C.  VSI needs things to be as simple as possible.

Macro-32 and Bliss already exist, no sense in re-implementing the wheel, or that 
code, as long as it works.  But I've seen multiple references to VSI re-writing 
parts of VMS in C where continuing to use the MAcro-32 and Bliss becomes an issue.

I agree with that policy.  Anything outside what VSI provides is better in a 
DECUS library or FreeWare library.

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
Dave Froble Enterprises, Inc.      E-Mail: davef at tsoft-inc.com
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