Re: GnomeCLI

[John R Sheets <dusk smsi-roman com>]

Tim Moore wrote:
> 
> Exactly! I've been considering ways in which the CLI could be improved and
> made more usable without detracting from its intended use.
> 
> For example (just to start brainstorming) the shell could have a better
> understanding of the syntax of commands, and use this to assist the user
> (e.g., via tab-completion). I'm constantly typing 'cvs up<tab>' and
> expecting it to finish the command for me.

This is a good idea in theory, but in real practice, it'll open
up a can of worms that keeps getting bigger & bigger the further
you try to pursue it.  As I understand it, you'd have to do this
one of two ways: modify the tools themselves (i.e. patch &
recompile cvs); or store all the command-line option info
externally, for each tool.  The second option would lead to a
maintenance nightmare, considering all the different versions of
the hundreds of CLI programs that exist for UNIX...not to mention
the vast differences (POSIX vs. non-POSIX, etc) between UNIX
flavors, given the same tool!  If it's part of GNOME, it'll have
to be (potentially at least) pan-platform.

This idea rolled across one of the lists I'm on awhile back
(probably this one), and this is the conclusion people came to,
as I recall.

What are your ideas on implementing this?

Or maybe I misunderstood your idea.  (c:

John