JT

A juicy design puzzle for #nushell:

We're starting to add more support for "bashisms" - syntax that Bash folks would be familiar with.

Today, I tried adding the `>` for redirection. Unfortunately, that's also greater than (eg `3 > 2`). An example like `| where $a > $b` could then be parsed two separate ways.

Should we require parens on conditions? Or, should we not use `>` but instead us something else? (maybe `>>` or `out>` or yet another option?)

Nov 19, 2022 at 7:14amWeb
Show threadTomNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr That is tough. A lot of people will expect `>` just to redirect, but `out>` looks nice, too. And I guess there'd also be `err>`? I still haven't used nushell. How much pain would the parens add?
Show threadJTNov 19, 2022

@contextfree

Parens would be a breaking change, but it's possible that's a change we want to make in order to get other kinds of syntax options.

And yeah, if we went with `out>` we'd have `err>` too. They may look a little odd at first but tbh, it took me years to be able to remember what `1` and `2` and things like `2>&1` even mean.

Show threadkubkonNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr @contextfree Even though my fingers (well, my muscle memory) will disagree with me, I find the idea of having `out>` and `err>` very appealing.
Show threadRaphaëlNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr @contextfree i always hated that syntax, out> and err> would be so much more readable
Show threadJonathan ‘theJPster’ PallantNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr change the operators to -gt and -le, etc. 🤣
Show threadJTNov 19, 2022

@thejpster

lol. some shells make some "interesting" syntax choices 😅

Show threadTobias MockNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr Do you have normal pipe syntax in nushell? Then something like `|>` could work. As in, pipe into file
Show threadTobias MockNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr Ah, other came up with the same suggestion already :)
Show threadDavyNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr this has been already mentioned but the F# pipe syntax might be a good alternative.
Show threadKyle  Nov 19, 2022
@jntrnr +1 to `out>` and `err>`. the numbers are cryptic, and using `>>` for what `>` is in bash would also be confusing coming from Bash.
Show threadElendolNov 19, 2022
@jntrnr I feel like there is an opportunity to make redirections more user friendly, this a bashism I still have some issues with after years of using it. Always have to double check what is redirected or not, and where to.