Autocoding >Re: "Introduction to Ethics",

[Chris Gonnerman]

"Timothy Rue" <threeseas at earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:<6590.792T1026T11164376threeseas at earthlink.net>...
>
> Given the set of mathmatical symbols and a question of what is the sum of
> 256 and 164 or the question of how many times will 147 go into 219865,
> or...
>
> Even if I don't know the answer, how to use the symbols to get the answer,
> I do know the use of the symbols in the right way will find the answers.
> The complexity of the question doesn't matter much.

Overexposure to this kind of drivel is causing me brain damage.

> The VIC and it's commands are similiar, in that not knowing specifically
> how to get to a specific answer, the tool set can get there once the right
> way is determined, regardless of the complexity. This of course is that of
> finding answers to questions in te scope of the VIC, just like the
> mathmatical symbols are for use withing their scope.

Has nothing to do with what I have said.

[ recapping of VIC commands omitted for brevity ]

> Like the symbols of mathmatics, you don't have to use them all to get an
> answer to a question.

The descriptions given lead to my definition:  an interprocess and
possibly network capable program communication system.

CORBA or (D)COM leap to mind.  Neither is user-accessible as is; if
you are recommending creation of glue logic to connect these existing
and successful systems to a friendlier UI, well, more power to you,
but based on your demonstrated writing ability, I don't hold out much
hope.  If we, experienced programmers, are not able to make out your
intentions, how does a user have a chance?

> If I want to know what the definition is of a word in a dictionary, I
> simply start up the VIC in interactive mode, set the dictionary I want to
> search and then search it with the word I want to find the definition of.

grep.

> There are numerious ways to do this but a simple example might be two line
> The first starting up the VIC with a user interface (not background
> proces) and setting the IQ default file to dictionary. the Next line from
> within the VIC user interface simply tells the VIC to find and output to
> standard out the definition of the word given.
>
> AI -u dictionary.iq
>
> vic>IQ word

yup.

> The above is a simple example that really only uses a command to start up
> the VIC and one to find a word definition.
>
> Of course the .iq files can contain anything you want them to contain,
> such as scripts, code snippets, and even VIC commands that will tell the
> VIC to change some setting such as output, change the execution stack,
> save a copy of the current complete VIC setting, etc...

cool.

> As such, it is possibe to set in motion any number of things, one leading
> to another, and thru the use of variable, the direction can be dynamic.

bash.

> To compair the VIC to an Email encryption/decryption program is foolish
> and as different as trying to compair a language compiler to a program it
> is used to create (excluding creating itself).
>
> Such a dedicated encryption/decryption program will probably be alot
> faster than getting the VIC to do such a task. Though the VIC can be set
> up to act as a translator, it can also more simply make use of a such a
> translator by placing it as where to output to and get input from. Maybe
> even setting up the use of two or more encryption/decryption steps.
>
> Now Chris, I don't know COM or CORBA that well. So tell me, does this
> sound like either? Or perhaps something to use maybe along with?

No, really, your description sounds a lot like what I do regularly using
ordinary commands on my Linux system at the shell prompt.  If I want to
"set in motion" a script, I type it's name.  Controlling input source(s)
and/or output destination(s) is a simple matter of pipelines, redirection,
etc. which IMHO is about as easy to do as it could be.

On Windows, my capabilities are limited (never liked Cygwin) so usually
I write a Python script to do complex things.  Takes just a moment or
two longer, unless I have to use a COM object (then I tear out some hair).

If I have grasped correctly what the VIC is, I can't see what it's good
for.  Who needs it?