Implementation of "start" command

[Dan Kegel]

Dimitrie O. Paun wrote:
>>You might think so, but on WindowsMe at least, it's a
>>separate executable, C:\windows\command\start.exe
> 
> Indeed, but I'm a bit worried of poluting the Unix command
> line namespace with such a Windows specific feature...
> 
> With your command, what's the difference between
> 
> start prog
> 
> and
> 
> prog &

Easy: "prog &" doesn't look for the program in App Paths like start does.
Also, once I make sure "start datafile" works, that will let you
open the file with the appropriate windows app much easier than
remembering the path to the program.

> If I'm using bash, I expect Unix-like behaviour. 
> I only expect Windows behaviour if I use wcmd.
> So maybe we can keep it as a separate program,
> but install it in a different path that's searched
> by default only in wcmd? Say $prefix/wine/bin?
> Or $prefix/bin/wine? What does FHS say, if anything?

I'd be ok with a wine bin, but I don't think FHS or LSB
define a program called "start", so there's not much chance of clash
if we install 'start'.  And 'start' is *very* handy.

(And we already have a clash ... should we rename programs/view
to not clash with vi's view alias, or is 'view' specified by windows?)
- Dan


-- 
Dan Kegel
http://www.kegel.com
http://counter.li.org/cgi-bin/runscript/display-person.cgi?user=78045