[TUHS] ed: f command (facts vs. file)

markus schnalke meillo at marmaro.de
Sat Jul 23 02:17:52 AEST 2022


Hoi.

[2022-07-18 12:52] markus schnalke <meillo at marmaro.de>
> [2022-07-11 19:30] Douglas McIlroy <douglas.mcilroy at dartmouth.edu>
> > 
> > Lomutu and Lomuto, "A Unix Primer"
> 
> Thanks for the recommendation of this book. I now have a copy and
> am looking forward to reading it.

Now I enjoy reading through the book. Thereby I came across this
piece of information (section 7.3.3, p. 87):

	(Historically, f stands for ``facts'', but most people
	prefer to think of it as an abbreviation for ``file''.)

Why ``facts''?


The manpage in 1st Edition does not list an f command at all.

The manpage in 3rd Edition explains f as ``the filename command''.

Assember and C sources of various editions all talk about filename
and none about facts.


Neither does ``facts'' seem to come from qed.

I couldn't find an f command there at all.
https://www.multicians.org/mspm/bx-9-06.681115.qed-editor.pdf
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/honeywell/multics/swenson/6906.multics-condensed-guide.pdf


What's the background for the comment about ``facts''?


meillo


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