TZUTC: -0800   
   MSGID: 55560.sync@1:103/705 2db375c2   
   REPLY: 55554.sync@1:103/705 2db2e5f2   
   PID: Synchronet 3.21a-Win32 master/4fa2ba380 Dec 13 2025 MSC 1944   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.33-Linux master/3fa76ba1d Dec 21 2025 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: REALITY   
   CHRS: CP437 2   
   FORMAT: flowed   
   NOTE: SlyEdit 1.92e (2025-11-11) (ICE style)   
     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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