GNU bug report logs - #11933
ambiguous "stty --help" text

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org, Michael Stummvoll <michael <at> stummi.org>,
	translation-team-de <at> lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: ambiguous "stty --help" text
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:53:14 +0200

Hi coreutils maintainers,

"stty --help" produces the output

   [-]parodd     set odd parity (even with `-')

When looking at the code and "man termios", which says:

       PARODD If set, then parity for input and output is odd; otherwise
              even parity is used.

it is clear that option '-parodd' means the opposite of option 'parodd'.
But the German translator misunderstood this line twice (even after being
pointed to the fact that it's ambiguous), as if it was

   [-]parodd     set odd parity (believe it or not, also with `-')

Can this ambiguity please be fixed at the root, in the English source
code? Here is a proposed patch (apply with "patch -p0"):


2012-07-13  Bruno Haible  <bruno <at> clisp.org>

	stty: Clarify meaning of '-parodd'.
	* src/stty.c (usage): Disambiguate explanation of -parodd.
	Reported by Michael Stummvoll <michael <at> stummi.org>.

--- src/stty.c.orig	Fri Jul 13 15:44:17 2012
+++ src/stty.c	Fri Jul 13 15:40:47 2012
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@
    [-]hup        send a hangup signal when the last process closes the tty\n\
    [-]hupcl      same as [-]hup\n\
    [-]parenb     generate parity bit in output and expect parity bit in input\n\
-   [-]parodd     set odd parity (even with '-')\n\
+   [-]parodd     set odd parity (or even parity with '-')\n\
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
 \n\

Message #10 received at 11933-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>
Cc: translation-team-de <at> lists.sourceforge.net, michael <at> stummi.org,
	11933-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#11933: ambiguous "stty --help" text
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:09:59 +0100

On 07/13/2012 02:53 PM, Bruno Haible wrote:
> Hi coreutils maintainers,
> 
> "stty --help" produces the output
> 
>    [-]parodd     set odd parity (even with `-')
> 
> When looking at the code and "man termios", which says:
> 
>        PARODD If set, then parity for input and output is odd; otherwise
>               even parity is used.
> 
> it is clear that option '-parodd' means the opposite of option 'parodd'.
> But the German translator misunderstood this line twice (even after being
> pointed to the fact that it's ambiguous), as if it was
> 
>    [-]parodd     set odd parity (believe it or not, also with `-')

:)
Pushed.

thanks,
Pádraig.

Message #13 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Michael Stummvoll <michael <at> stummi.org>
To: Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>, bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org,
	translation-team-de <at> lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: Re: ambiguous "stty --help" text
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:22:33 +0200

Hi,

Thanks for pushing this to bug-coreutils. I never thought about this
for myself.

> +   [-]parodd     set odd parity (or even parity with '-')\n\

another (and maybe clearer) way could be:

        parodd      set odd parity
       -parodd      set even parity

but I am not sure, cause it breaks with the notation of all the other
options.

Kind regards,
Michael

Message #16 received at 11933 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
To: Michael Stummvoll <michael <at> stummi.org>
Cc: translation-team-de <at> lists.sourceforge.net, bruno <at> clisp.org,
	11933 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#11933: ambiguous "stty --help" text
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2012 19:45:04 +0200

On 07/13/2012 04:22 PM, Michael Stummvoll wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Thanks for pushing this to bug-coreutils. I never thought about this
> for myself.
> 
>> +   [-]parodd     set odd parity (or even parity with '-')\n\
> 
> another (and maybe clearer) way could be:
> 
>         parodd      set odd parity
>        -parodd      set even parity
> 
> but I am not sure, cause it breaks with the notation of all the other
> options.
>
What about the following?

   [-]parodd     set parity (even parity with '-', odd parity otherwise)

Regards,
  Stefano

Message #19 received at 11933 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>
To: Stefano Lattarini <stefano.lattarini <at> gmail.com>
Cc: translation-team-de <at> lists.sourceforge.net, 11933 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
	Michael Stummvoll <michael <at> stummi.org>
Subject: Re: bug#11933: ambiguous "stty --help" text
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 16:55:20 +0200

Stefano Lattarini wrote:
> What about the following?
> 
>    [-]parodd     set parity (even parity with '-', odd parity otherwise)

It's correct, but sounds strange, because it suggests that the main
purpose of this option is to get even parity. As always, the first thing
one mentions is the most important or intended one.

Bruno

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