Talk:Thompson shell

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[edit] Page Alteration Proposal - Globbing

I propose that some information about the Thompson shell's globbing feature be added to this article in addition to the information about redirection and piping that is already present. After all, globbing has existed as one of the core features of the original Unix shell since at least First Edition (V1) Unix. Though the source code is not available, the documentation certainly is.

Even though globbing at the time only supported the * and ? metacharacters and not [...], it is important enough that it should be present. I will add it next weekend when I have the time to do so if that is acceptable. I will also add a link the the glob (programming) article.

For anyone who cares to know more about this, the globbing capabilities are documented on dmr's website at Unix Manual, first edition on the specified pages in the following PDF files: Commands, part 3 (see SH(I) on page 13) and Miscellaneous (see GLOB(VII) on page 10).

--JNeitzel (talk) 16:35, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Previous Discussions

The main article says that Ken Thompson wrote the Original UNIX Shell, and that it remained the default shell up to and including Version 6.

Way back when I was in University I read an article, by John Mashey, about the PWB shell, of which he was an author. He listed the shells that preceded his. Thompson's was the first. But other shells had preceded his, and Thompson's shell was no longer in use. IIRC Mashey's article was published in 1977 or 1978, in a journal named Software practice and experience.

This article should be the Mashey Shell. Most features that have any precedece come from his additions.

I've added a link to a site with manual pages and other information about the early Unix shells. If someone feels like it, they can add more detailed information to the article proper. The First Edition Unix manual from Dennis Ritchie's site may also be of use.

Beinsane 01:11, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC)

For the record the early Bourne shell pipe syntax included using the ^ character instead of the | "pipe" character. For example:

  • command1 < stdin ^ command2 ^ command3 > stdout,

As well as the now standard:

  • command1 < stdin | command2 | command3 > stdout

I would GUESS that this use of the ^ char came from the Thompson_shell. Anyone? NevilleDNZ 11:00, 12 January 2006 (UTC)

 I can confirm that the syntax to pipe commands in sh from Unix V1 to V6 is cmd1 ^ cmd2. The bourne shell has cmd1 | cmd2, and cmd1 ^ cmd2 as well for backward compatibility.