On Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 08:37:27AM -0300, Crystal Kolipe wrote: > On Tue, Sep 20, 2022 at 10:54:10AM +0000, Klemens Nanni wrote: > > Does this negation of the main sentence add anything I don't get? > > Yes. The wording you are proposing to remove makes it clear that > setting -R sets the 'default' behaviour, (which can be overridden > by other flags), rather than forcing the behaviour regardless of > any following flags. > > This is important due to the way that the rest of the paragraph > is written, (see below). >
i kind of agree with this point. > > Reads like pointing out the obvious and the next sentence also explains > > how -H and -L behave due to -R, just like -H and -L descriptions > > themselves. > > That's true if you only read the first two sentences, but taking the > paragraph as a whole it goes on to say that: > > "The -H, -L, and -P options are ignored unless the -R option is > specified. In addition, these options override each other and the > command's actions are determined by the last one specified." > > This is ambiguous. Which options does that text suggest override > each other? > however it is not ambiguous here. it doesn;t make sense to think that "these options override each other" could refer to -R, since we have already said the options are ignored unless you specify -R. > Is it: > > 1. -H, -L, and -P ? > yes > or > > 2. -H, -L, -P, and -R ? > -R could not both override -H, for example, and simultaneously be required to make -H work. > The text is not clear. Take this example: > i think it is clear. jmc > # cp -L -R > > The -R does not override the -L. > > This is consistent with the current wording of the manual page, > I.E. -R sets the DEFAULT which can be overridden by -L, but an > -R coming after an -L is only setting the DEFAULT which can and > has been overridden by a previous -L. > > BUT with the sentence you are proposing to remove, this implication > is lost, and it's less clear whether a tailing -R will override a > previous -L. > > If you want to make your proposed change, you should also change > "these options override each other" to "the first three options > override each other". >
