Re: Most Intelligent Command Line ("MICL") - pitch for devs

[Coda Highland <chighland@...>]

On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 9:16 AM, Stefan Reich
<stefan.reich.maker.of.eye@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hi folks.
>
> I'm putting this proposal out in the open now to find some motivated
> co-conspirators. I know that Lua-L is, historically, not exactly the
> greatest place to start projects. But then again, this is a list of
> thousands of Lua lovers... right? And this is a Lua-based project.
>
> Things are looking up btw - I was actually featured in a Hamburg newspaper
> this week.
>
> (btw, women in Hamburg suck. Sorry... I had to sneak that in there... it
> needs out =)
>
> So! Back to computers. Here goes our pitch:
>
> ***
>
> Most Intelligent Command Line (Shorthand: "MICL" or "ICL")
>
> Abstract >>
>
> MICL is scheduled to be a portable application that is - MATHEMATICALLY
> PROVABLY - the most intelligent command line possible.
>
> Yes you read that right. The proof is already in my head. Yes, I have
> studied mathematics =)
>
> MICL will be a bit like using google - you enter what you want your computer
> to do and the software finds instructions on how to do that. Just that the
> instructions are then automatically performed for you.
>
> Smart, isn't it? And we know how to do this safely and securely.
>
> Comparison to other command lines >>
>
> OK, there already are command lines, like the Windows command prompt and the
> Linux shells. How does MICL compare to them?
>
> 1. MICL can imitate other shells. It is absolutely no problem to make MICL
> understand commands that were meant for MS-DOS, Bash or even weird languages
> like sed and awk. We will do that, and it will be easy.
>
> 2. MICL will be WILDLY more tolerant than these legacy command lines. One
> wrong character and they balk at you. MICL will just figure it out. MICL is
> something you can use when drunk.
>
> 3. MICL is an application that learns. In case it doesn't understand you
> today yet, wait until tomorrow and it will be able to do it then. Yes this
> is not a joke.
>
> Community >>
>
> This is another important aspect of the project. We believe that a community
> will spring into existence around MICL, once a first app exists, because it
> will be extremely easy to extend MICL - and to share those extensions.
>
> There will be intelligent processes to ensure that good extensions get
> spread to more users. Write something good and people will use it.
>
> Security >>
>
> Is spreading code around between people like that secure you ask? Yes it
> will be. We know how to make things secure. Yes we do mean that. We have
> innovative security concepts ready to be implemented. A secure foundation
> (Lua) is key for that.
>
> People wanted >>
>
> * Evangelisers
> * Users / input givers
> * Developers
>
> The one and only requirement if you want to help develop is to learn some
> Lua. (Lua is easy.) We might need code in other languages too, but just for
> little things. The bulk is gonna be Lua.
>
> Language >>
>
> We'll develop MICL in English because it's probably going to be an
> international team. Localizing it afterwards is going to be fun. =)
>
> Time frame >>
>
> Quick. We start assembling the team and developing NOW. Once there are devs,
> we can make a MVP (minimum viable product) in something like two weeks. Yes,
> I mean that.
>
> Monetary questions >>
>
> It's an open-source project, so probably no $ payout right at the start. But
> there's gonna be a lot of public attention, so, one way or another, you'll
> definitely be glad if you're a part of it.
>
> Let's do it. Join now and become famous. And help making something so good
> that you'll find yourself using it daily.
>
> Cheers,
> Stefan Reich (info@luaos.net) / www.pussy-riot-germany.de
>

My primary concern with a "smart" shell is that typos that would
previously have been harmless errors run the risk of getting
reinterpreted as damaging commands. If I put in "rm -rf &" when I
meant to put a path before the &, and the shell says "& is beside *,
you must have meant "rm -rf *", let me blow away the current directory
for you.

I'm all for supporting really broad syntax, but I'd rather have the
"one wrong character" still error out -- or at the very least, prompt
"did you mean ___? y/n".

/s/ Adam