Could we have a standard "shar" file format?

Jim Budler jimb at amdcad.UUCP
Fri Nov 15 15:20:11 AEST 1985


Boy do you get your news late!! I wrote that a long time ago.
BUT:

	1) Why is it that the computer that does not recognize #! /bin/sh
	has to write a sed script to allow for the original poster
	writing an inadequate script?

	2) Computers that recognize '#! /bin/sh' to direct a script to sh
	also recognize ':' for the same purpose.  Computers that do not
	recognize '#! /bin/sh' also recognize ':'.

In the quest for a standard shar format, shouldn't a potential developer 
work for the lowest common denominator?

Therefore:

	a) Shar scripts should be 'sh' scripts, because some unlucky
	people don't have 'csh', but everyone has 'sh'.

	b) Shar scripts, since they follow item 'a)' above should use ':'
	for the reasons mentioned in '2)', above.

By the way, I get by quite well.  I have BSD4.2, csh, unshar, and sed.  But I 
believe in the practices of Columbia Univ. i.e. try to make your
product compatible for the most people possible, even if that requires 
more effort on the developer's part.
-- 
 Jim Budler
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
 (408) 749-5806
 Usenet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amdcad!jimb
 Compuserve:	72415,1200

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Don't be dictators, use thought.



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