Erwin Waterlander <[email protected]> writes:
> Op 22-03-09 16:21, Jari Aalto schreef:
> We can observe the use of equivalent short options in GNU programs (as
> shows in previous messages). The utilities that are used daily, those
> of:
>
> cp -v
> mv -v
> ssh -v -v
> ...
>
> Eric S. Raymond ... http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch10s05.html)
> [writes similarly -v for verbose etc.] ...
>
> - Option -v for verbose etc is only standard on GNU ..
Not solely in GNU, but it has had a good influence overall.
> - commercial Unix version, everything is different.
We can pretty much ignore what commercial vendors do. They are
not the best poster boys to represent standards; more leaned
towards lock-in of products and commands.
> - POSIX does not prescribe any specific option
There is -v option to desribed in sh(1) specification:
http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/sh.html
The -a, -b, -C, -e, -f, -m, -n, -o option, -u, -v, and -x options
are described as part of the set utility
http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/set.html
verbose
Equivalent to -v.
However, you're technically right. POSIX is not about command line
options, it standardizes the command names and common behavior.
> [Solaris & HP-UX experience]
My experience as well.
> [GNU long options]
I'd like to propose another approach. It would be possible to use:
#ifdef HAS_GNU_GETOPT
at compile time to offer --long options for those platforms that have
the GNU libraries installed.
Would you accept a patch for this?
> My conclusions are:
> * There exists no standard that prescribes -v for verbose or -V for version
> * There is no tradition to use -v for verbose.
> * GNU only standardised some long options.
> * Many GNU programs use -v for verbose and -V for version.
> * Many programs (also with GNU license) use -v for version.
> For me this is a non-issue. I will switch options -v and -V.
> Using long options for Wcd would be joke, because wcd is all about reducing
> typing.
My motivation was that, Open Source software could become better whe
quality is improved. One part of the quality is that programs behave
consistently using similar command line options; when they can be
genrally agreed on. The standards are what we make of them.
Thank you for the change, small it may be, it's an important step.
Jari
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