IP menu

[Seattle Public Theater]

Rod:
I personally don't want to do anything that is blank screen programming
i.e. there's not menu right there.  I also don't want to learn a new way
of doing this.  I would prefer the IP menu work, even if it means deleting
some of those commands.
Barb

On Fri, 28 May 1999, Rod Clark wrote:

> Barb, 
> 
>    Using the IP Menu is frustrating enough that something should
> be done about it. The IP Menu was supposed to help with several
> things, when the Information Providers didn't have access to the
> Unix shell. (They all do, now.)
> 
>    First, display a handy menu to remind people of what
> functions are available, and what the names of the commands are
> to do them. Second, substitute some friendlier command names for
> some of the Unix command names. Third, limit people to using a
> basic set of commands that probably wouldn't mess things up too
> badly when used from the menu (which does a little error
> checking, etc.).
> 
>    All of the IPs can use the shell directly now. (Type "shell"
> at the Your Choice --> prompt, and then type "exit" to go back
> to the menus.) I wonder whether it might be better to make a
> help screen that you could call up from the shell if and when
> you need it (say, by typing "help") that would remind you of the
> basic commands, but otherwise wouldn't be obtrusive.
> 
>    Maybe the IP Menu should be more of an introduction to using
> the real Unix commands than it is now, instead of a complete
> replacement for access to the Unix prompt. Generally speaking,
> the real commands also work when you type them in on the IP
> menu, even though they're not listed on the screen along with
> the nicer English equivalents.
> 
>    So it might be better to add the underlying "cp", "mv", "rm",
> "ls" syntax of the Unix commands onto the IP menu, instead of
> using only the "copy", "move", "delete", "list" equivalents and
> other made-up stuff that doesn't carry over when you go to the
> shell.
> 
>    Would you be comfortable using the shell directly, if a
> reasonable help screen, or set of help screens, were made
> available? You'd have to type things like 
> 
>    cp some.file /web/arts/spt
> 
>    instead of typing "copy" and then following the prompts that
> come up asking for the file name and the destination. 
> 
> Rod
> 
> 

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