GNU bug report logs - #32308
doc: join: mention whitespace is significant

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

From: Dima Kogan <dima <at> secretsauce.net>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: join doesn't ignore trailing whitespace
Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 20:11:04 -0700

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Hi. It appears that join doesn't ignore trailing whitespace, resulting
in surprising results. I'm attaching two data files. one is the output
of 'seq 5', and the other is the same thing, but with a trailing space
added to each line. Look:

  dima <at> scrawny:~$ join -j 1 -e - -o auto /tmp/dat.no.trailing.space /tmp/dat.no.trailing.space 
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5

  dima <at> scrawny:~$ join -j 1 -e - -o auto /tmp/dat.trailing.space /tmp/dat.trailing.space   
  1 - -
  2 - -
  3 - -
  4 - -
  5 - -

I guess the manpage isn't explicit about what happens in this case, but
as a user, I find this to be extremely surprising, and this thus feels
like a bug. Thanks.

(I'm not subscribed to the list, so please Cc me in replies)

[dat.no.trailing.space (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

[dat.trailing.space (application/octet-stream, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 32308 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com>
To: Dima Kogan <dima <at> secretsauce.net>, 32308 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#32308: join doesn't ignore trailing whitespace
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2018 21:48:54 -0600

severity 32308 wishlist
retitle 32308 doc: join: mention whitespace is significant
stop

Hello,

On 2018-07-29 9:11 p.m., Dima Kogan wrote:
> It appears that join doesn't ignore trailing whitespace, resulting
> in surprising results. 
[...]
 > I guess the manpage isn't explicit about what happens in this case, but
> as a user, I find this to be extremely surprising, and this thus feels
> like a bug.

I've marked this as a wishlist item - to be improved in the future.

-assaf

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