GNU bug report logs - #22909
Manpage test(1): Obsolescent logical operators

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Message #11 received at 22909 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
To: 22909 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: [PATCH] test: Document that -a and -o are undesirable
Date: Fri,  4 Mar 2016 09:55:53 -0700

POSIX recommends avoiding -a and -o, for good reason.
src/test.c (usage): Mention that inherent ambiguities exist with
binary -a and -o.
Problem reported by Martin Gebert in: http://bugs.gnu.org/22909
---
 src/test.c | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/src/test.c b/src/test.c
index 36817d2..bf31cf9 100644
--- a/src/test.c
+++ b/src/test.c
@@ -790,6 +790,11 @@ INTEGER may also be -l STRING, which evaluates to the length of STRING.\n\
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
 \n\
+NOTE: Use of binary -a and -o create inherently ambiguous situations.  Use\n\
+'test EXPR1 && test EXPR2' or 'test EXPR1 || test EXPR2' instead.\n\
+"), stdout);
+      fputs (_("\
+\n\
 NOTE: [ honors the --help and --version options, but test does not.\n\
 test treats each of those as it treats any other nonempty STRING.\n\
 "), stdout);
-- 
2.5.0

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