Re: cp -d dir patch for review (or 'xargs'?)

[Brad Huntting]

> Try:
> 
>   echo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | xargs -n 4 echo
> 
> Now consider what would happen with the above suggested construct with
> a very long file list.
> 
> I don't see a problem with adding an option to cp to treat the first
> argument as the target instead of the last argument.  It's a simple
> solution, the code change is simple, and it produces the exact desired
> result.  What's the problem?

Unfortunatly, cp is not alone in needing this feature.

I think a more sensable approach would be to add an "append args"
flag to xargs.  For example "--", which could be used like so:

        xargs cp -- destdir <<EOF
                first_file
                second_file
                third file
        EOF

would run

        cp 'first_file' 'second_file' 'third file' destdir

to pass an argument of two or more dashes to the command,
add an extra dash like so:

        xargs echo -- foo --- bar ------ bar  <<EOF
                first_file
                second_file
                third file
        EOF

would run 

        echo 'first_file' 'second_file' 'third file' foo -- bar ----- bar

You get the idea.


brad

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