GNU bug report logs - #19240
cut 8.22 adds newline

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: John Kendall <john <at> capps.com>
Subject: bug#19240: closed (Re: bug#19240: cut 8.22 adds newline)
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 17:06:03 +0000

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Your bug report

#19240: cut 8.22 adds newline

which was filed against the coreutils package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to 19240 <at> debbugs.gnu.org.

-- 
19240: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=19240
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

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From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
To: John Kendall <john <at> capps.com>, 19240-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19240: cut 8.22 adds newline
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:05:37 -0700

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tag 19240 notabug
thanks

On 12/01/2014 06:39 AM, John Kendall wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I don't know if this is a bug, but I wonder if there is a consensus on correct behavior.
> The solaris version of cut does not add a newline if there was no newline on the input:

Such an input is not a text file (the POSIX definition of text file
requires that if the file is not empty, it ends in newline); and POSIX
leaves the behavior of 'cut' unspecified if it is not operating on a
text file.

http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/V1_chap03.html#tag_03_397

http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/cut.html

Therefore, it is unspecified whether cut will add or skip a trailing
newline.

> 
> I came upon this while porting scripts from Solaris 10 to Centos 7.

GNU chose to make cut behave similarly to sort, which IS required to add
a trailing newline even when the input lacks one (that is, POSIX goes
the extra mile and defines sort behavior on non-text files that are
non-text only because they lack a newline).  Solaris chose differently.
 But the problem is that you are relying on unspecified behavior; fix
your input files to have a trailing newline, then you won't have to
worry about it.

At any rate, I see no reason to change GNU behavior, so I'm closing this
as not a bug.  Feel free to add further comments, though, including if
you have a stronger argument for why we should reopen the bug and change
behavior.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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From: John Kendall <john <at> capps.com>
To: "bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org" <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>
Subject: cut 8.22 adds newline
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2014 13:39:38 +0000

Hi,

I don't know if this is a bug, but I wonder if there is a consensus on correct behavior.
The solaris version of cut does not add a newline if there was no newline on the input:

Consider this printf command:

$ printf "1\n12\n123\n1234\n12345\n123456"
1
12
123
1234
12345
123456$

Note that the shell prompt appears after the 6 on the last line.


# Solaris cut
$ printf "1\n12\n123\n1234\n12345\n123456" | cut -c1-4
1
12
123
1234
1234
1234$

Note that the shell prompt appears after the 4 on the last line.

#gnu 8.22 cut
/$ printf "1\n12\n123\n1234\n12345\n123456" | cut -c1-4
1
12
123
1234
1234
1234
$

Note that the shell prompt appears on its own line.

I came upon this while porting scripts from Solaris 10 to Centos 7.

Interested to hear you thoughts.

Thanks and best regards,
John
---
John Kendall
System Administrator
CAI International

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