[TUHS] STDIN/OUT vs APIs [was: How Unix changed Software]

[Brian Zick]

On Mon, Sep 5, 2022, at 6:48 PM, steve jenkin wrote:
> While the Unix “Software Tools” approach - mediated by the STDOUT / 
> STDIN interface, not API’s - was new & radical, and for many classes of 
> problems, provided a definitive solution,
> I’d not include it in a list of “Open Source” features.

I am very curious to hear more about the implications and practical benefits of this from folks that have thoroughly explored it. In my experience I’ve mainly used APIs, and I’m having trouble imagining the other approach other than for text-processing.

B