[Coco] Weird errors

[Boisy Pitre]

After looking at the xmode.asm source and examining the compatibility  
issue that has plagued users of tmode, I am considering a different  
approach than the one I expressed in the email below.  Specifically,  
I am considering resurrecting the old tmode/xmode utilities and  
renaming the current "new syntax" tmode/xmode to some variant, such  
as tmode2/xmode2 and including those as part of an enhanced utilities  
package that would also include things like bawk and other commands.   
This utility package would be downloadable as a separate disk image  
alongside NitrOS-9.  Another option is to just include those new  
utilities on the standard NitrOS-9 System disk (though I admit, space  
is getting a bit tight).

As far as I know, no new programs have been written to take advantage  
of the new syntax, so such a an impact would be minimal.  Thoughts or  
comments on this approach?
--
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 7:30 AM, 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?
> --
> 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. :)
>>
>> -- 
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>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
>
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