[Coco] Weird errors

[Gene Heskett]

On Tuesday 12 September 2006 08:30, Boisy Pitre wrote:
>I knew the tmode change would eventually cause grief.  Let me explain
>the reasoning for changing tmode's syntax.
>
>The new tmode has roots in Bruce Isted's enhanced "exmode".  exmode,
>which came with the SACIA driver, was a better xmode utility with
>more options and a simplified syntax (albeit different from xmode).
>The decision to move from xmode to exmode necessitated in my mind the
>need to also change tmode, since both are very similar.  In fact,
>tmode is built from the same xmode.asm source as xmode is.  The only
>difference is an assemble time command line switch.
>
>My philosophy of NitrOS-9 is that compatibility with OS-9 is
>important, but so is the evolution of the operating system.  The OS
>lends itself to extensibility by allowing for the addition of system
>calls, file managers and drivers which can modify the personality of
>the system.  Utilities are also susceptible to enhancements and
>modifications.  That can mean introduction of new "standard
>distribution" utilities (ded, megaread, etc) or, when there is a
>compelling feature, changes to existing utilities.
>
>There is the dilemma of breaking existing software.  As Robert and
>others have pointed out, using the old tmode would fix the syntax
>problem for older programs.  However, I am personally not opposed to
>adding "-echo" and "echo" in the existing tmode/xmode to accommodate
>these programs, and add other "backwards compatible" options as they
>arise.
>
>Does this sound like a good compromise?

An excellent one to me.  I've been bitten by this on several occasions 
where the src for the program that used the old tmode syntax wasn't 
available to be fixed.

>--
>Boisy G. Pitre
>337.781.3570 mobile
>email: boisy at boisypitre.com
>Website: www.boisypitre.com
>
>"If there is truth to the proposition that knowing the past helps us
>to understand the present, I believe there is at least as much truth
>to the proposition that what we know of the present is crucial to our
>understanding of the past.  What we have not ourselves experienced or
>observed we can at most only partially and imperfectly comprehend;
>and I suspect that there is much in history that is so remote from
>our own experiences or observations as to be largely beyond our
>understanding." - Kenneth M. Stamp
>
>On Sep 12, 2006, at 6:25 AM, Robert Gault wrote:
>> Willard Goosey wrote:
>>> <snip>
>>> Or, as Rob Gault advised me (crankily) when I complained about this,
>>> download the source for tmode and add the old style options back in.
>>>
>> ><snip>
>>
>> That's not my call. Try talking Boisy out of making these changes
>> some time. :)
>>
>> --
>> Coco mailing list
>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Yahoo.com and AOL/TW attorneys please note, additions to the above
message by Gene Heskett are:
Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.