Re: A simple hate today.

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From: Phil Pennock
Subject: Re: A simple hate today.
Date: 16:52 on 26 May 2006
On 2006-05-26 at 10:31 -0500, David Champion wrote:
> Sure.  It also means "show me data quantities in pretty MG and GB and
> TB values instead of large KB values", and it means "hostname" in a lot
> of programs.  There are plenty of cases where it can't be used for help
> now, but it doesn't all add up to "-h should never key in help."

No, but it does argue against having a default action produce desirable
behaviour, where that action is subject to implementation doing
something else, resulting in an incompatible change.  Semi-standardised
sets of meanings which have claimed that letter merely make this more
likely.

If a program spews a short synopsis to stderr, and refers to the real
help option, then exits non-zero, for all unimplemented options, whilst
producing --help/whatever to stdout exiting zero, you have something
which makes it clear that "this option isn't in use, see over there for
help" and is much more amenable to later implementing Real Functionality
under that option letter.

But that's the behaviour which the OP hated.  I'd just hate it if things
did as the OP likes things.  Each to their own.
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