Very preliminary thinking about the syntax and configuration of my new command language BCL. Not design! yet.
Concepts Need an abstract syntax notation to talk about this, not BNF.
constant – literal <placeholder> – named placeholder. Name is suggestive of the type or purpose of the placeholder.
Noun-verb vs verb-noun Many (and common) commands are verb first:
cp <from> <to> rm <thing> sudo <command> More specialized commands are often noun first:
We have more and more operating systems, but the unix/linux command language tools are the go-to source of basic command line tools for them all. These tools have proprietary and cultural weirdnesses that committed practitioners have mastered and by now constitute a badge of honor or mark of attainment, but make a sometimes formidable barrier to new users. There is room in the world for a more consistent, discoverable and portable command language to build on this stable heritage and constitute a new standard.