Re: [MiNT] Re[2]: GEM boost

[Maurits van de Kamp <maurits@bassment.nu>]

> I wasn't bashing any of the work that has been done with Freemint and the
> RPMs, just trying to stand back and give the picture that an outsider might
> see.

I know :o) And having been such an outsider myself, I'm just supplying an 
alternative view. :o)

> For the most part I just drive the system like those people who have no
> idea how a car engine works.

That's actually the proper way. You should know how to change gears and also 
why, but you don't need to know how the gearbox and cludge work.

And also, you shouldn't want to connect the fuelline to the engine yourself 
even though you know that's where it should go. (This as an analogy for 
people who want full control over what folders their application data goes 
in). :o)

> When GEM appeared I just avoided cli like the plague it is. I used to argue
> with those fanatical DOS users who always told me that the WIMP environment
> was a useless gimmick that would never catch on :-)Where are they now ?

In the windows world they're nowhere, but that's because Windows comes with a 
lousy CLI that even forces unnecessary DOS-limitations on your otherwise 
DOSless environment. In other OSes however, CLI is still considered useful 
(and maintained). Conclusion: For optimal ease of use, you need both.

> Personally I can't be bothered with any command that has more than 2 or 3
> parameters.

Sometimes that's a lot faster than dragging and clicking back and forth. :o) 
Especially once you are doing routine stuff, it can be so annoying to have to 
click your way through all the same dialog boxes over and over again, when 
it's so much faster just to type those few options..

> Life's too short.

My point exactly. ;o)

> Also, I've used so many systems that it's  
> too easy to forget which command to sue let alone the parameters.

As I said, it's with routine stuff that CLI becomes faster (and GUI becomes 
annoying).

All I'm really saying is, the idea "CLI == bad" is just a fashion thing.

> I have this idea for writing a GEM app that can be used to drive lots of
> cli commands from a config file based on the various parameters in the
> readme. The config would be used to generate the radio buttons, tick boxes
> and input fields etc. Nothing very fancy but just to make it easier to
> run the more useful utils from GEM.

Sounds nice. :o)

Maurits.