Using csh & tcsh

Job Control and Window Systems

If you are using a system that allows you to open multiple terminal windows, you can switch between windows as an alternate form of job control (e.g., if a command is slow in one window, you can switch to another window). However, even if you have access to multiple windows, there are still reasons to use job control:

• Commands manipulated by job control are often related; therefore, using your history in constructing those commands can be useful. In a windowing system, the history of one window is not directly usable in another.

• Establishing new windows can be more cumbersome and slower than switching between jobs in a single window.

• Starting lots of windows means that you have more of them to keep track of, move around, iconize, etc. Job control helps keep the display more manageable by reducing clutter.

I find it more convenient to use multiple windows if I need to switch between jobs, and if each job requires a full-screen display. Otherwise, I generally find that using job control to switch between jobs in a single window is easier.