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

[Simon Clubley]

On 2022-01-27, Dave Froble <davef at tsoft-inc.com> 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:
>>> Why C, when there are better languages?
>>
>> If you are about to use the B-word, better is relative.  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.
>>
>
> John ...
>
> If I understand what you've written, you've just deplored most all of VMS ...
>

There are application programming languages and then there are system
programming languages.

Much of VMS is written in Macro-32 and BLISS and could well do with
being rewritten in a higher level system language (DEC BASIC is not
such a language based on what I have seen mentioned about it.)

DEC was very much on the right path with Pillar 35 years ago and its
a pity that never came to completion. If it had become established,
today's world might look very different. (After all, C was originally
a Unix-only language until it rapidly took off elsewhere).

Simon.

-- 
Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP
Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.