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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. -- VISTA: Viruses, Infections, Spyware, Trojans & AdwareThere's stuff above here
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