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Re: POSIX misunderstanding


From: Daniel Reed
Subject: Re: POSIX misunderstanding
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 09:57:49 -0400 (EDT)

On 2004-08-27T00:09-0400, Paul Jarc wrote:
) > (note that this implies that "ls --help" does violate
) > the Utility Syntax Guidelines, but that it's OK to do so)
) Right - since it doesn't follow the syntax, the guidelines don't have
) anything to say about the meaning of --help.  But the guidelines do
) have something to say about the meaning of anything that does follow
) the syntax, including -42 (specifically, that its meaning should be
) the same as the meaning of -24, -2 -4, and -4 -2).  I'm no happier
) about this than you are, but that's what the standard says.

Arguments are allowed to be position-sensitive, i.e. -4 -2 and -2 -4 do not
necessarily have to mean the same thing.

As for -42 meaning the same as -4 -2, though, do we have a problem with
making that so? Can we make the rule be that digits multiply the current
line count by ten then get added? -4 -2 would hence be the same as
traditional -42, and -42 would hence be allowed back in.

-- 
Daniel Reed <address@hidden>    http://people.redhat.com/djr/   
http://naim.n.ml.org/
Punishment often increases the feelings of estrangement and strengthens
the power of resistance. -- Friedrich Nietzsche, German Philosopher




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