Aazure.647 net.unix-wizards utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!duke!harpo!cbosg!teklabs!tekmdp!azure!randals Mon Mar 22 13:47:21 1982 what is a glob? Since my introduction to the usenet, I have been bombarded with the origins of the words "foobar", "dsw", "[v]grep", and other such fascinating additions to the English language by computer people. One word that *I* could never totally figure out is the word "glob". In version 6, a program /etc/glob was used to do the shell filename metacharacter (* [] and ?) expansion, although this program is not needed by the Bourne (V7) Shell. In Berkley's C-shell, the word again pops up in the definition of "noglob", a shell variable that inhibits the filename expansion. What is "glob"? Who out there has an authoritative definition? Beyond the word's definition, is it correct to use glob as a verb... i.e. "to glob" something? With all the recent discussion of correct grammar, I don't want to be left in the dark about proper usage of computer jargon. I will digestify personal responses. Please mail them directly to me. Randal L. Schwartz (...!{decvax,ucbvax}!teklabs!tekmdp!randals) Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products Beaverton, Oregon (anybody out there not know how to pronounce it by now?) ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.