Rod, at 10:52 on Wed, Apr 12 1995, you wrote to Bill Grimsley ...

BG> There is one more thing I'd really like to see added to Msged,
BG> and that's the ability to perform an external operation without
BG> having to manually enter the command in a Msged prompt window
BG> (OLX uses token keywords for this).

RS> What the fuck do you want to use externals for anyway ?
RS> You should be using another multitasker window for that stuff.

I already do, but I choose to run Msged in a FS session, and there are
times when it would be much easier to hit just one key instead of 3 or 4,
plus a couple of mouse strokes.  It doesn't hurt to have the choice, and in
the DOS version, it would be a real advantage IMO.

BG> For example, if I want to run LIST or something like that,
BG> I currently have to do either of the following (this is in
BG> edit mode, but although the read mode keystrokes are slightly
BG> different, the principle is the same)...

RS> You should just have List already open in another multitasker 
RS> window, and have some decent window switch mech in the multitasker 
RS> itself, like the Desqview Alt-n approach, even with something like OS2.

Alt-Esc toggles between sessions under OS/2, or Ctl-Esc brings up the
window list, and I do already have Qedit/2 and List/2 running so it's no
big deal here, but I still maintain that it wouldn't be a useless addition
at all.

BG> 1.  Press Alt-1, then enter the command name in the prompt
BG> window. When the external command or program has exited,
BG> I then have to press  to clear the "DOS command
info" window.

BG> 2.  Press Alt-O, which shells to a system prompt, run the command,
BG> then type EXIT to return to Msged.

RS> And there is none of that farting around with another multitasker
RS> window, just use the same ALT-n approach go get back to the OLR
RS> window when you want to.

Jeeze Rod, after nearly 3 years with OS/2, at least give me a bit of credit
for knowing how to use it productively!  I know all that, and I agree that
it's a far better method over all, but that still doesn't mean that my
suggestion is useless, especially for the DOS version.  Some people still
single-task under DOS, believe it or not.  |-)

RS> With the n permanently assigned by your auto desktop restart or even more 
RS> radical not turning the machine off ever.

No point leaving it on all night here, but it runs non-stop between 0600
and 2300 or so daily, and all smaller utes and apps are already loaded and
running during that period.

RS> Anything else is dinosaur technology.

Not all of it.  I'll even concede that some people don't need a MTer at
all, and straight DOS is quite sufficient for their purposes.  Not me
though, but I'm still not arrogant enough to suggest that everybody should
use their machines the way I prefer to, right or wrong (and who's to say
what that is anyway, as circumstances and needs differ?).

BG> function 5  {at}SHELL list.exe
BG> function 6  {at}SHELL q.exe

BG> ...and so on (get my drift?).

RS> Well, its clearly better than what you have now, but you
RS> still have the farting around as the OS does that work,
RS> loading that task and closing it again. Dinosaur stuff.

Only as a useful adjunct though, not as a replacement.

BG> I've tried doing this with macros, but as both the DOSCMD
BG> and DOS keywords require user input, it can't be done.

RS> Urgh. Thats always been another area where DV pisses on OS2 too,
RS> you can much more easily overlay key definitions on a particular
RS> tasks window than you can with OS2.

You misunderstand.  These are internal Msged macro commands, nothing to do
with the OS or its windows or session at all.  But yeah, it's a bit more
difficult assigning specific key functions to individual OS/2 sessions
unless they are set up as objects first, but it's a piece of piss in VDMs,
where you can use a different autoexec file for each session.

RS> Its more than a tad non orthogonal tho in that situation where you have 
RS> both key definitions in the app and the OS task config. Its doable in OS2, 
RS> just not so elegantly.

Yeah, not worth fucking around with IMO.  It's easier to stick it in the
app itself, which is why I suggested in in the first place.  Should be
quite doable too (but not by me).  |-)

BG> The other alternative would be to allow user-input parameters to be
BG> accepted from function key macros by enclosing them in quotes, like 
BG> so...

BG> function 1  \0x78,"list.exe",\0x000d

RS> Thats more than a tad too cryptic for the average user tho.

Fuck 'em, that's why there are such things as docs.  Anyway, it certainly
isn't too cryptic as far as I'm concerned.

BG> So waddya reckon?

RS> Dinosaur stuff.

IYO, of course.  |-)  

I personally happen to think think it would be a very useful feature
myself, and a real advantage if coded into the native DOS version (and by
extension, the OS/2 executable as well).

Regards, Bill
@EOT:

--- Msgedsq/2 3.05 alpha