From owner-freebsd-hackers Thu Mar 30 1:37:27 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from phoenix.welearn.com.au (phoenix.welearn.com.au [139.130.44.81]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A6BB137BB60 for ; Thu, 30 Mar 2000 01:37:20 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from sue@phoenix.welearn.com.au) Received: (from sue@localhost) by phoenix.welearn.com.au (8.9.3/8.9.3) id TAA83436; Thu, 30 Mar 2000 19:37:06 +1000 (EST) (envelope-from sue) Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 19:37:01 +1000 From: Sue Blake To: Doug Barton Cc: freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Proposed new Bourne shell init files Message-ID: <20000330193658.V69444@welearn.com.au> Mail-Followup-To: Doug Barton , freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG References: <38E2F801.548AAAF1@gorean.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.95.4i In-Reply-To: <38E2F801.548AAAF1@gorean.org>; from Doug Barton on Wed, Mar 29, 2000 at 10:45:21PM -0800 Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Wed, Mar 29, 2000 at 10:45:21PM -0800, Doug Barton wrote: > Commentary on my files. . . Using allexport instead of an explicit > 'export' for every variable makes the file easier to read, and gives a > novice user one less thing to worry about. I see your point, and offer an alternative view. I don't consider myself a novice user, but when I was I'd heard of export, yet I've still not heard of allexport until your email. (OK, I probably read about it and ignored it). My fear would be that turning something on in one part of the file and off again later is likely to assist novices to shoot themselves in the foot by removing only one of these lines. In one sense it simplifies, but it does so by making the file's structure more complex. Not too much so, but avoidable. The multiple exports take up more space and don't look as clever, but their purpose is crystal clear and one goof doesn't ruin the lot of them. It would be a good addition to a separate file with lengthy comments, supplied as an alternative and/or learning exercise. I might pinch your idea for that one day :-) -- Regards, -*Sue*- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message