Subj : pros and cons
To   : Denn
From : poindexter FORTRAN
Date : Thu Dec 25 2025 07:37 am

  Re: pros and cons
  By: Denn to Nightfox on Wed Dec 24 2025 11:12 pm

 > Why Batch feels different

 > Batch files are essentially just a list of commands you would normally type
 > into the Command Prompt, saved into a file so you don't have to type them
 > twice.

 > When you added variables and logic, you were actually using the fundamental
 > building blocks of computer science:

I'd call batch structured programming, compared to something like EXPECT, which I'd forgotten about. EXPECT was like a scripting language for the command line, looking for output from programs and entering input - you could use it to script a login to a PPP account for example. That feels like the "batch file" description you describe.

I don't think it had branching, although it might have - but it wasn't procedural.

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