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I can't think of anything more casual than a shell script. Once you grok the syntax of the shell's control structures it becomes pretty easy to rig up just abou
by vectorpush 14y ago
I can't think of anything more casual than a shell script. Once you grok the syntax of the shell's control structures it becomes pretty easy to rig up just about any behavior one can imagine. I suppose some might consider the command line excluded from the category of casual by default but most of those people would be surprised at how insanely simple the command line actually is.
- read_wharf 14y agoFor us, but not for people who don't program otherwise, yet would like to casually do more with their computers than what the installed apps do. Thinking of what you want to do is the more important part of doing something; it seems like, in the spirit of the OP's post, you shouldn't have to make such a large leap from what you want to how to do it. It is what it is today, merely because it is what it is.
- vectorpush 14y agoThinking of what you want to do is the more important part of doing something; Agreed, and those who don't program otherwise are at the cognitive mercy of the metaphors defined by a "user-friendly" abstraction. Of course, there is always a balancing act; we all rely on abstractions, but at some level a user has to understand how a system works in order to adequately conceptualize the task they want to execute. This isn't to say that we should expect anyone who wants to get more out of their machine to learn shell scripting or that we can't make things easier for non-programmers, but just like playing an instrument or writing a book, hobbyists should readily expect that they won't be able to do much unless they take the time to learn the system and the tools.
- drivebyacct2 14y agoI've been programming since I was in 6th grade and I still want to cause physical harm to myself instead of write a shell script for any shell.