use Perl

• A different approach (Score:1)

  by jrw (1844)

  Obviously the trash can approach is a good one, but it does have its limitations. For example, if this is not your server, then who will take care of emptying the trash on a regular basis? Or, if you use the mv --backup approach, then what if your mv doesn't support the --backup option or if you don't want to see numbered backups of each file in your directory?

  I've taken a different approach, which I haven't seen anyone mention anywhere else and which is universal across all unixes: I alias rm to a sho
  • Re:A different approach (Score:2)

    by schwern (1528) on 2010.01.11 16:22 (#71517) Homepage Journal

    The point was not the details of the implementation, you can write trash dozens of different ways and trash automation isn't necessary its just convenient. The point is the interface, what its training the user to do and if its really protecting against the consequences of slips.

    Your solution still contains the key problem: training the user to ignore the prompt. It just reduces it somewhat, but the really annoying case remains: the big list of prompts. Yes. Yes! YES! YES!!

    Slips are something that happens, and you notice a split second later, but the die has already been cast. The decision to use -f comes too early, you don't decide to make a slip, but you have to decide to use -f. Same with any sort of "yes to all". Users have to be able to make the slip and then recover from it.

    The alternative is careful checking of every move, which is slow and frustrating and will eventually fall by the wayside.

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