Re: patch: do not emit trailing blanks in context header

[Paolo Bonzini]

> You can see that it works using the example above.  Give patch
> the diff -u output with the sole trailing blank removed:
>
>   $ printf 'a\n\nb\n' > 1
>   $ diff -u <(printf 'a\n\nb\n') <(printf 'a\n\nc\n')|sed 's/ $//'|patch 1 -
>   patching file 1
>
> Of course, we're not talking about trailing blanks added or changed due
> to inputs with differences (or in context).  Rather, we're talking
> about the fact that diff -u adds a space on any output line
> what would otherwise be blank.
>   
Yes, but still I am really not sure that it is a good idea.  Andreas is 
sure is a bad one, it looks like.  :-)

Patch-handling programs had better be resilient against trailing blanks 
for sure, since patches are often cut-n-pasted from mail, and it is good 
that patch 2.5.9 is (I have 2.5.8 actually).

But this does not mean that all of them *are* resilient.  I think the 
unified diff format should be considered as mostly set in stone.

Paolo