5 ms·

I have a feeling that the "-" character for an option is a unix (multics) only thing. It is also worth looking at https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/que

by peteri 6y ago

I have a feeling that the "-" character for an option is a unix (multics) only thing. It is also worth looking at https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/4695/slash-versus-backslash-as-directory-separator-what-who-caused-this-rift/ https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/4695/slas... where there is some discussion of the history. Along with https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/7030/why-did-unix-use-slash-as-the-directory-separator/ https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/7030/why-... and https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/4686/where-do-command-line-switches-originate-from https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/4686/wher...

rnhmjoj 6y ago
From the third link: > (I still think the Multics path seperator looks more natural >etc>bin - too bad Unix diverted here) Looks more natural indeed. In fact it's visually similar to how paths are stylised in some file picker GUIs.
- account42 6y ago
  Yeah but imagine having to use Shift for every path separator you type.
  - TheCycoONE 6y ago
    Keyboards may have evolved differently to compensate. The location of non-alphanumeric characters wasn't so consistent back then.
  - hibbelig 6y ago
    Germans type Shift+7 to get /. Imagine their horror when having to type AltGr+- to get a backslash. At least with Shift you can choose which of the Shift keys to use, but there is only one AltGr key (it is to the right of the spacebar, the US keyboard layout has the right Alt key there). It used to be you could use Ctrl+Alt+-, too, and at least those were available on the left hand side, too. But I do not know if Ctrl+Alt works nowadays.
    - account42 6y ago
      > Germans type Shift+7 to get /. Those that are too stubborn to use QWERTY, yes. Seriously, the german keyboard layout is horrible for programming and the few umlauts can easily be entered using compose keys / dead keys / alt combinations / whatever you fancy.
vincent-manis 6y ago
Multics inherited - as a switch character from the earlier MIT time-sharing system CTSS.

by peteri 6y ago

rnhmjoj 6y ago

From the third link: > (I still think the Multics path seperator looks more natural >etc>bin - too bad Unix diverted here) Looks more natural indeed. In fact it's visually similar to how paths are stylised in some file picker GUIs.

account42 6y ago
Yeah but imagine having to use Shift for every path separator you type.
- TheCycoONE 6y ago
  Keyboards may have evolved differently to compensate. The location of non-alphanumeric characters wasn't so consistent back then.
- hibbelig 6y ago
  Germans type Shift+7 to get /. Imagine their horror when having to type AltGr+- to get a backslash. At least with Shift you can choose which of the Shift keys to use, but there is only one AltGr key (it is to the right of the spacebar, the US keyboard layout has the right Alt key there). It used to be you could use Ctrl+Alt+-, too, and at least those were available on the left hand side, too. But I do not know if Ctrl+Alt works nowadays.
  - account42 6y ago
    > Germans type Shift+7 to get /. Those that are too stubborn to use QWERTY, yes. Seriously, the german keyboard layout is horrible for programming and the few umlauts can easily be entered using compose keys / dead keys / alt combinations / whatever you fancy.

vincent-manis 6y ago

Multics inherited - as a switch character from the earlier MIT time-sharing system CTSS.