Issue #16571 has been updated by J.D. Welch.
Category set to usability
Assignee changed from J.D. Welch to eric sorenson
Keywords changed from errors to errors, interaction, CLI
eric sorenson wrote:
> J.D. -- try running `puppet kick --help` vs `puppet module --help`. I forget
> how to repro exactly but at one point puppet says "Run `puppet help help
> help`"
OK, I see the issue. Agreed, it's tremendously annoying to edit the command for
help vs. execute.
Proposed new syntax:
% puppet --help
% puppet -h
% puppet module --help
% puppet module -h
% puppet module build --help
% puppet module build -h
# Generically:
% puppet <subcommand> [--help | -h]
% puppet <subcommand> <action> [--help | -h]
So, you'd get output like the following, instead of the unhelpful current
output.
% puppet
Usage: puppet <subcommand> [options] <action> [options]
Try 'puppet -h' or 'puppet --help' for more information.
% puppet --help
Usage: puppet <subcommand> [options] <action> [options]
Available subcommands, from Puppet Faces:
(etc)
% puppet module build --help
USAGE: puppet module build <path>
Currently, it seems there's not even consistency across platform pieces.
% hiera --help
Usage(etc)
% hiera help
Failed to start Hiera: RuntimeError:(etc)
% facter help
% (no output)
% facter --help
SYNOPSIS
========
(etc)
UX recommends applying the unix-standard help syntax to puppet platform
components CLIs.
Also, try `puppet help help help help` for a laugh.
----------------------------------------
Bug #16571: puppet commands should respond correctly to --help
https://projects.puppetlabs.com/issues/16571#change-72815
Author: R.I. Pienaar
Status: Accepted
Priority: Normal
Assignee: eric sorenson
Category: usability
Target version: 3.x
Affected Puppet version:
Keywords: errors, interaction, CLI
Branch:
<pre>
% puppet module --help
err: 'module' has no default action. See `puppet help module`.
% puppet help module
USAGE: puppet module <action>
</pre>
The --help option should just do the right thing as is customary in unix
applications.
When working on the unix cli you want to move forward not backward:
* type a command, up arrow, add an option, enter, up arrow, append the
options you learned about.
This has a natural forward moving rhythm to it that does not cause
interruptions to your train of thought
This behavior wrt --help forces people to move backward an ever varying amount
of steps which is an interruption to the natural flow of the unix CLI usage:
* type a command, up arrow, back arrow 7 times, type a command, up arrow,
append the options you learned about
The attention you have to give to the back arrowing step is hugely disruptive,
it's an entire different train of thought
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