GNU bug report logs - #15092
Dirname Bug

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

From: Axel Spallek <axel <at> spallek.org>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: Dirname Bug
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 09:16:14 +0200

Dear Programmer,

the following throw errors:

dirname --to-0040257282759-in.wav
dirname "--to-0040257282759-in.wav"
dirname '--to-0040257282759-in.wav'

IMHO at least the last two ones schould work.


dirname (GNU coreutils) 8.13
Copyright © 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Lizenz GPLv3+: GNU GPL Version 3 oder höher 
<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
Dies ist freie Software: Sie können sie ändern und weitergeben.
Es gibt keinerlei Garantien, soweit wie es das Gesetz erlaubt.

Geschrieben von David MacKenzie und Jim Meyering.

-- 
Mit freundlichem Gruß,

Axel Spallek
Dipl.-Ing. FH IE

Hochdorfer Straße 34
88477 Schönebürg

Mobil: 01577 7929886
E-Mail: axel <at> spallek.org

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Message #8 received at 15092 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Erik Auerswald <auerswal <at> unix-ag.uni-kl.de>
To: Axel Spallek <axel <at> spallek.org>
Cc: 15092 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15092: Dirname Bug
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 11:45:58 +0200

Hello Axel,

On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 09:16:14AM +0200, Axel Spallek wrote:
> the following throw errors:
>
> dirname --to-0040257282759-in.wav
> dirname "--to-0040257282759-in.wav"
> dirname '--to-0040257282759-in.wav'
>
> IMHO at least the last two ones schould work.

If the arguments to a program start with a - or --, they are assumed to be
options. You can use -- to stop option processing:

$ dirname -- --to-0040257282759-in.wav
.

Quoting the arguments as in your last two examples does not affect this, as
the shell does not interpret leading - characters in the command line, the
program called does.

HTH,
Erik

Message #11 received at 15092 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>
To: Axel Spallek <axel <at> spallek.org>
Cc: Erik Auerswald <auerswal <at> unix-ag.uni-kl.de>, 15092 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15092: Dirname Bug
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 12:36:32 +0200

tags 15092 notabug
close 15092
thanks

On 08/14/2013 11:45 AM, Erik Auerswald wrote:
> Hello Axel,
> 
> On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 09:16:14AM +0200, Axel Spallek wrote:
>> the following throw errors:
>>
>> dirname --to-0040257282759-in.wav
>> dirname "--to-0040257282759-in.wav"
>> dirname '--to-0040257282759-in.wav'
>>
>> IMHO at least the last two ones schould work.
> 
> If the arguments to a program start with a - or --, they are assumed to be
> options. You can use -- to stop option processing:
> 
> $ dirname -- --to-0040257282759-in.wav
> .

Another way would be to prefix it by a directory name,
either fully qualified, or just the current directory:

  $ dirname "./--to-0040257282759-in.wav"
 or
  $ dirname "$(pwd)/--to-0040257282759-in.wav"

> Quoting the arguments as in your last two examples does not affect this, as
> the shell does not interpret leading - characters in the command line, the
> program called does.

Or told in another way: in your examples above, dirname(1) saw
the same string as argument in all 3 cases.

There's some help for this sort of misunderstanding in our FAQ:

http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#How-do-I-remove-files-that-start-with-a-dash_003f

As this is not a bug in coreutils, I've marked it as such
and closed the bug.

Have a nice day,
Berny

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