tclsh vs tcsh/bash/etc

[Rudolph Pienaar]

Hello, world

I am curious about the suitablity of tclsh as a basic shell compared
to the more conventional bash/tcsh/etc.

From a script programming point of view, tclsh is obviously superior,
but I have no idea about how easily (if at all) it accommodates the more
aesoterical functionality of bash/tcsh with regard to prompt changing,
aliasing, title bar setting, etc, etc.

Any info/comments will be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rudolph

PS - Apologies if this topic has come up before...

[Joerg Petersen]

Rudolph Pienaar (rud...@pangea.ee.up.ac.za) wrote:
: Hello, world

: I am curious about the suitablity of tclsh as a basic shell compared
: to the more conventional bash/tcsh/etc.

: From a script programming point of view, tclsh is obviously superior,
: but I have no idea about how easily (if at all) it accommodates the more
: aesoterical functionality of bash/tcsh with regard to prompt changing,
: aliasing, title bar setting, etc, etc.

Simple answer: as it is now it is nort suitable as all-purpose
userinterface shell. No sophisticated commandline editing and so on...
The aim of tcl differs from bash...

Joerg
===========================================================================
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Jorg Petersen, 1. Physikalisches Institut
pete...@pi1.physik.uni-stuttgart.de Universitaet Stuttgart
Tel.: 0711/685-4954 Pfaffenwaldring 57
Fax.: 0711/685-4886 D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany

[Larry W. Virden]

There are a couple of extensions listed in tcl-faq.part05 to add readline
command history to tclsh. Also, folk have reported success using the ile
input line editor. To set title bars, etc. someone is going to need to
write a set of procedures - I don't think anyone has, because for some
reason most folk don't (no folk?) use tclsh as their primary shell.

I have tried in the past to get a coherent list of features needed to
convince folk to use tclsh or wish as their login shell - ala dtksh.

The thread always seems to languish.
--
:s Larry W. Virden INET: larry....@cas.org
:s <URL:http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/cgi-bin/hpp/lvirden_sig.html>
:s Unless explicitly stated to the contrary, nothing in this posting should
:s be construed as representing my employer's opinions.

[Rudolph Pienaar]

Larry -

Previously you wrote:

: There are a couple of extensions listed in tcl-faq.part05 to add readline

It is sad that this thread "always seems to languish". I believe that
tclsh (or dtksh) offers (from a script programming point of view) a
convincing argument and hints at an unrealized potential for use as a
login shell.

Granted, at present, there are limited facilities for implementing
some of the functionalty of the traditional shells - but it seems
unfortunate that tclsh should be relegated a status that deems it fit
for little more than interpreting script files.

Of course, one can always argue that there is little reason to design
a full-blown tclsh when one can always get what you want from bash and
write tcl scripts whenever desired.

But, it seems a pity that the elegance (and "joys", sometimes) of tcl/tk
is denied full use as a login shell. I can imagine it being quite
satisfying to specify environment variables, aliases, implement
command history, set title bars, etc, etc, etc, and do script
programming *all* in tcl.

There is tremendous potential.

Rudolph

--

________________________________________________________________________
e-mail: rud...@pangea.ee.up.ac.za
In Real Life: Rudolph Pienaar
Organization: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
University of Pretoria
South Africa
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