[comp.sys.ibm.pc] switch character

andy@mks.com (Andy Toy) (03/21/90)

In article <1990Mar19.083315.5841@calvin.spp.cornell.edu> richard@calvin.spp.cornell.edu (Richard Brittain) writes:
>I wish JP software had not decided to perpetuate the mystique of the switch
>character by sliding this feature in "under the table".  They could have kept
>this local to 4dos, and remained completely free of the msdos switchar debate.

The switch character debate is still roaring, but a possible solution is
for everyone to write programmes that use "-" as the switch character.
This will allow these programmes to accept "/" or "\" as the path
delimiter since DOS inherently accepts both.  Hence commands can be
entered like:

	prog -opt1 -opt2 /this/file

	-or-

	prog -opt1 -opt2 \that\file

Additionally, if you have a version of DOS that allows "switchar=-" in
the config.sys or has a command.com which uses the switch character
setting then you can even use:

	/path/prog -opt1 /yet/another/file

	-or-

	\path\prog -opt1 \yet\another\file

Anyway, that's my $0.02 worth.
-- 
Andy Toy, Mortice Kern Systems Inc.,       Internet: andy@mks.com
  35 King Street North, Waterloo,       UUCP: uunet!watmath!mks!andy
      Ontario, CANADA N2J 2W9      Phone: 519-884-2251  FAX: 519-884-8861