Command usage was recorded on a VMS system. The overall frequency of commands, the frequency of transitions between commands, the sources of commands, and the extent to which the overall results could be applied to individuals were analyzed. The frequency of top-level interactive commands was very similar to those found by others for a UNIX system. Transitions showed that commands fall into one of three classes: self-referential, interdependent and general. Issuing commands indirectly accounted for the vast majority of commands processed by the system. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and general implications for system design.
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