[bug #28329] egrep/fgrep should accept respectively -E/-F

[Tim H]

Follow-up Comment #3, bug #28329 (project grep):

> I think setting -E in GREP_OPTIONS is an incredibly bad idea
> :-) as it will break scripts.

Since extended REs are almost completely backward compatible with simple REs,
I think it is unlikely that this will break many scripts. I haven't found one
yet where this is a problem.

> use "alias grep='grep -E'" instead

I tried this for a while. Then I would spend time figuring out a RE at the
command prompt only to have it break when I included it in a script. After
many frustrating debugging sessions, I set the variable to save my sanity. I'm
trying to get into the habit of always using egrep but until that "takes",
this is my fallback.

I don't have a problem with programs ignoring incompatible options in cases
like this (a warning would be OK) but I'm sure purists do. Years of experience
tends to make one a little less dogmatic about things like this. ;-)


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