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From: wjin@cs.uh.edu (Woody Jin)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: Command languages versus GUIs.
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 96 02:34:12 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Houston
Lines: 62
Message-ID: <4lhfcf$s8m@masala.cc.uh.edu>
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In article <4lgv09$3a5@web.nmti.com>, peter@nmti.com (Peter da Silva)
Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix
Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX wrote:
>> Also, there are many facilities in MS Word that many users don't know
>> (simply because they don't read manuals AND/OR they don't have time
>> to do so). Probably what you described above can be done
>> using some available macros, or by writing in Word Basic macro language.
>
>But then you're using it as a markup language! You're going beyond the
>WYSIWYG model and programming, or using canned programs some programmer
>has written to implement the style model you need.
>
>What you're saying here is, "you're right, WYSIWYG isn't enough... so Word
>has a command language embedde in it". Which is exactly the point I've been
>making. The issue isn't GUI versus command languages at all.
The beauty lies in that normally WYSIWYG is enough. You need such
macro programming (most macro packages are already available) only when
you are in odd circumstances.
It is just like La(TeX). Most macro packages are available. You still need
write macro packages in TeX when you can't find what you need.
But how may LaTeX users can write macros in TeX ? Less than 1 % I guess.
I do agree with your opinion that text formatting tools are better for
professional printing. But most don't need it.
On the other hand, software like FrameMaker can generate documents
professional enough (and with much less pain). The only problem is that
it is too expensive.
If we go back to the original issue, I believe that popular software should
be available on unices in reasonable price if you want the unix to be
the popular computing platform. The real issue can be whether you really
want it to be.
I thought I was a unix/vi avocado (I am still vi/LaTeX avocado). But then I
couldn't find any dictionary
software on unix (I need it since I am not a native English speaker).
I preferred FreeBSD to Linux, but I had to buy MooTiff for Linux version
considering all possibilities.
And now, I moved NT after I found that most things that I needed in Unix
can be done in NT also. Plus lots of software that I can buy in Best Buys
in reasonable price. And NT is stable enough to be usable.
The only problem is that I am forced to use built-in editors for news
reading / e-mail software. I wish I could use vi. But that's OK.
I don't write long/complex documents when I do news/e-mails.
I hope that this doesn't lead to another NT <--> Unix war. I am simply
presenting my opinion that unix developers be united to something
for commercial software availability. IMHO, it should be "one-binary"
for all unices which run on the same CPU.
That is, if I buy MS word for intel unices, it should run on Linux, FreeBSD,
NetBSD, Solaris for Intel, ...etc. I am not sure whether it is ever be
possible, but I heard that where there is a will there is a way :)
--
Woody Jin
Love is what love does - from Road Less Traveled, M. Peck, 1978
Stupid is what stupid does - from Forrest Gump, 1995
Vi is what vi does,
emacs is what emacs does - me, 1996