Re: A simple hate today.

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From: Juerd
Subject: Re: A simple hate today.
Date: 21:00 on 25 May 2006
H.Merijn Brand skribis 2006-05-25 21:43 (+0200):
> > juerd@nano:~$ perl -?
> > Unrecognized switch: -?  (-h will show valid options).
> > juerd@nano:~$ vi -?
> > VIM - Vi IMproved 6.4 (2005 Oct 15, compiled Apr 28 2006 01:45:37)
> > Unknown option: "-?"
> > More info with: "vim -h"
> > juerd@nano:~$ python -?
> > Unknown option: -?
> > usage: python [option] ... [-c cmd | -m mod | file | -] [arg] ...
> > Try `python -h' for more information.
> > juerd@nano:~$ ruby -?
> > ruby: invalid option -?  (-h will show valid options)
> All GNU, as Philip said.

GNU Perl?

GNU VIM?

GNU Python?

GNU Ruby?

> Look, here is a genuine old awk and sed :)
> d3:/usr/bin 113 > awk -?
> Usage: awk [-F fs][-v Assignment][-f Progfile|Program][Assignment|File] ...
> d3:/usr/bin 114 > sed -?
> Usage: sed [-n] [-e script] [-f source_file] [file...]

Interesting that they don't list -? in the usage information. What do
these awk and sed do if you run

    awk -@
    sed -@

If they then too give usage info, -? isn't a feature, but a useful side
effect.

> d3:/usr/bin 133 > metamail -?

How about

    metamail -@

> d3:/usr/bin 134 > elmalias -?

    elmalias -@

> d3:/usr/bin 142 > rup -?
> Usage: rup [-h] [-l] [-t] [host ...]

    rup -@

> d3:/usr/bin 147 > jobs -?
> Usage: jobs [ -l ].

    jobs -@

> No, I didn't, but I proposed a change to perl a very long time ago, and I
> still don't understand why it was turned down.

I do, especially after reading this thread.

> > So that's about 60 programs that do support -?, against over 1200 that
> > do not. Sanity wins!
> Again, you're in a GNU environment.

OpenBSD 3.2, not quite a GNU environment:

    $ ls -?
    ls: illegal option -- ?
    usage: ls [-1ACFLRSTWacdfiklmnopqrstux] [file ...]
    $ grep -?
    grep: invalid option -- ?
    Usage: grep [OPTION]... PATTERN [FILE]...
    Try `grep --help' for more information.
    $ mv -?
    mv: illegal option -- ?
    usage: mv [-fi] source target mv [-fi] source ...  directory
    $ vi -?
    vi: illegal option -- ?
    usage: ex [-eFRrSsv] [-c command] [-t tag] [-w size] [file ...]
    usage: vi [-eFlRrSv] [-c command] [-t tag] [-w size] [file ...]
    $ mkdir -?
    mkdir: illegal option -- ?
    usage: mkdir [-p] [-m mode] dirname ...

Blaming GNU is too easy.

> Now, come up with a good reason why -? should not map to --help

Oh, I'm not arguing that -? shouldn't be supported. I am arguing that
expecting that it is supported, is rather silly. I am also warning that
using -? may be unsafe, and that -h or --help is more likely to work
anyway.

Supporting -? and documenting it is bad, though, because of
aforementioned security risks and because people might come to expect
-? to work from other applications.

> -? as an alias for --help makes sense. I ask for help: just give it.

I'll give you help info, but only because you're feeding me something I
don't understand. Not because I think "?" looks like "help". It looks
more like "huh?", but that isn't something I'd shout when drowning.


Juerd
-- 
http://convolution.nl/maak_juerd_blij.html
http://convolution.nl/make_juerd_happy.html 
http://convolution.nl/gajigu_juerd_n.html
There's stuff above here

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