[fa.info-cpm] Ideas for new ZCPR

C70:info-cpm (08/03/82)

>From rconn@BRL Tue Aug  3 00:25:57 1982
        CCP-GROUP is currently formulating  plans  for  the  next
release  of  ZCPR,  and if anyone wishes to see something changed
about ZCPR or a significant and "reasonable" new feature added to
it, please feel free to send your ideas to CCP-GROUP at BRL.

        CCP-GROUP is small  by  choice  and  necessity,  and  the
membership is currently frozen.  The chief reason for this is be-
cause, thru experience, we have found that design by committee to
be  highly  non-productive if the committee size exceeds 5 or so,
and CCP-GROUP is now running at around 5  members,  and  we  all-
too-frequently find this to be too large of a group for effective
design work.  We feel that ZCPR came out originally  in  a  good,
workable,  and  extensible form due to the previous effort of the
group, and, with several significant new ideas proposed,  we  are
considering putting out a new "sanctioned" release of ZCPR.

        Anyway, getting on with the new ZCPR,  some  of  the  key
enhancements currently under consideration include:

        1.  a non-echoed input for the pause in the TYPE command

        2.  an optional verification prompt for the ERA  command;
this will print the file names to be erased and then ask the user
if he wishes to do so, as per Frank Wancho's mod transmitted ear-
lier

        3.  a totally-new indirect command  file  facility  (ZSUB
instead  of SUBMIT and XSUB) which optionally combines SUBMIT and
XSUB capabilities into one command as well as providing  command-
file flow control and other nice JCL features

        4.  a new command called PATH, which allows the  user  to
dynamically  specify  the  command-search hierarchy; examples in-
clude:

                PATH                    <-- display current path
                PATH $,a10,b11,a0       <-- search current, A10, B11,
                                                and A0 in that order


        If anyone has ideas of other facilities to add or change,
feel free to submit a comment.

                                        Rick