On September 6, 2012 at 5:24 PM Jim Meyering <[email protected]> wrote:
> Bernhard Voelker wrote: > > Maybe it's worth adding a line about the exist status > > when using -n or -i (together with answering 'n')? > > Yes, please. That would be an improvement. (my first patch created on cygwin) >From 65d2d16340cee38f0a7e059af86be49f21eef84d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bernhard Voelker <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2012 18:39:47 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] doc: improve documentation of -n and -i for cp and mv * doc/coreutils.texi (cp invocation): Add a note about to the description of the option -n how it compares to -i. Add a note about a possible exit status zero when -n or -i is used. (mv invocation): Likewise. --- doc/coreutils.texi | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++-- 1 files changed, 23 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-) diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi index f2620bc..0324d1b 100644 --- a/doc/coreutils.texi +++ b/doc/coreutils.texi @@ -7772,8 +7772,14 @@ a regular file in the destination tree. @opindex -n @opindex --no-clobber Do not overwrite an existing file. The @option{-n} option overrides a previous -@option{-i} option. This option is mutually exclusive with @option{-b} or -@option{--backup} option. +@option{-i} option. +@macro optClobberAndI +In effect, this option works as if the option @option{-i} +was given and the user declined all questions to overwrite the targets (sure +enough without prompting). +@end macro +@optClobberAndI +This option is mutually exclusive with @option{-b} or @option{--backup} option. @item -P @itemx --no-dereference @@ -8026,8 +8032,15 @@ However, mount point directories @emph{are} copied. @end table +@cindex exit status of @command{cp} +Exit status: + @exitstatus +However, if the existing target is not overwritten because the option +@option{-n} is used or the option @option{-i} is used and the user has declined +overwriting that file, then @command{cp}'s exit status is yet zero. + @node dd invocation @section @command{dd}: Convert and copy a file @@ -8747,6 +8760,7 @@ If the response is not affirmative, the file is skipped. @cindex prompts, omitting Do not overwrite an existing file. @mvOptsIfn +@optClobberAndI This option is mutually exclusive with @option{-b} or @option{--backup} option. @item -u @@ -8778,8 +8792,15 @@ Print the name of each file before moving it. @end table +@cindex exit status of @command{mv} +Exit status: + @exitstatus +However, if the existing target is not overwritten because the option +@option{-n} is used or the option @option{-i} is used and the user has declined +overwriting that file, then @command{mv}'s exit status is yet zero. + @node rm invocation @section @command{rm}: Remove files or directories -- 1.7.9
