GNU bug report logs - #15157
join doesn't follow norms and dies instead of doing something useful w/duplicate options

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Message #8 received at 15157 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Linda Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
Cc: 15158 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 15157 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#15158: sort complains about incompatible options (that aren't)
 AND when it shouldn't
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 17:07:49 -0700

The -g and -h options of 'sort' are indeed incompatible; they
result in different outputs.

More generally, these bug reports reargue the 'grep' bug reported here:

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-grep/2013-08/msg00017.html

and replied to here:

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-grep/2013-08/msg00018.html

Generally speaking, the GNU utilities follow the POSIX utility
syntax guidelines, in particular Guideline 11:

    The order of different options relative to one another
    should not matter, unless the options are documented as
    mutually-exclusive and such an option is documented to
    override any incompatible options preceding it.

    http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/V1_chap12.html#tag_12_02

It sounds like you're disputing the main part of this guideline
and are advocating always taking the second (exceptional) part.
It's not clear to me that this makes sense, and there are
good arguments for sticking with the more-cautious approach.

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