shell scripting Re: Converting mp3 to wav

[David Mandala]

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[snip]On Thu, 2002-01-31 at 17:17, Sriram Thaiyar wrote:
 >=20
> | =20
> |  > - (i think that
> |  > not forcing the user to upgrade unnecessarily is a Good Thing.
> | =20
> |  Am I the only one who hasn't a clue what you're talking about here?
>=20
>=20
> what i am saying here is this: most people program in shell script becaus=
e
> that what is guraanteed to be on any system; but why not make the user
> upgrade?  what's is wrong with making the user upgrade if the program the=
y
> are going to use is not only better, but handles more features and more
> convienent for them?
>=20
=20
In response to this I'd say a couple of things:=20

1) define better.=20

Just because you like a different language does not make it better, I
may be running a very space constrained system and more/bigger is not
better. For example I have a couple of systems that have 72 Meg hard
disks (yes that is correct 72 MEG) and 8 Meg of RAM. I can not install
any more software, but I do have shell installed.

2) define more convienent
Just because you like a language does not make it better. I strongly
dislike lisp, I do not install it on any of my systems, forcing me to
waste space for something that could be written in shell is not smart
nor is it more convienent for me, I would have to go through more work
just to install something I would normally never use.

Here is an example for you: A new Linux kernel build system is being
worked on. It requires installing Python, which is another language I
dislike. Normally I would never install it but I am forced to inorder to
build new kernels. Is the better or more convienint for me? Hell no, but
it is the language that Eric Raymond likes so now we are stuck with it.
Though there are folks that are considering rewriting the tool in C
since we must have C installed to build the kernel but except for the
build system we don't need Python.

In short better and convienent are very subjective things and what you
consider to be "better and convienent", is at best annoying and a pain
in the tail for me or possible impossible on a space constrained system.
That is what is wrong with making a user upgrade for your convienence.

Cheers,

Davidm

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