From: ldo@nz.invalid   
      
   On Thu, 1 Jan 2026 02:01:29 +0000, Mike Terry wrote:   
      
   > On Windows there is a command-line provided to applications via   
   > GetCommandLine() api. This is a single zero-terminated string.   
      
   This idea comes from CP/M, which in turn copied it from the old DEC   
   operating systems. This is a very primitive model, which never   
   envisioned the more advanced kinds of things a Unix-style command line   
   makes possible.   
      
   > Windows views parsing of the command-line string to be in the   
   > application domain, I guess.   
      
   Consider a basic thing like quoting words on the command line, to   
   allow the passing of arguments with spaces and other odd characters in   
   them: with a raw command string, both ends have to agree on the same   
   conventions for doing such things. Getting this wrong leads to great   
   sadness.   
      
   On *nix systems, there is no need for such conventions: the argv array   
   will be passed literally from invoking program to invoking one, with   
   no need for special quoting at all.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)