GNU bug report logs - #36594
No hint for missing argument

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

From: Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu>
To: bug-guix <at> gnu.org
Subject: No hint for missing argument
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 11:49:45 +0200

When you type an option that requires an argument, but don't provide one, you get an error message that says there is a missing argument. There should brobably be a hint on what values are acceptable. For instance, there is no way to know from "guix package -v" or "guix package --help" what values are accepted. In other cases, there is a --list-something option.

Maybe -v is the only case where it would be useful to do something, because you could guess its existence and not use a verbosity level. Maybe fixing the help message to say --verbosity=[0-5] is enough?

Message #8 received at 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu>
Cc: 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36594: No hint for missing argument
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:40:58 +0200

Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu> skribis:

> When you type an option that requires an argument, but don't provide one, you get an error message that says there is a missing argument. There should brobably be a hint on what values are acceptable. For instance, there is no way to know from "guix package -v" or "guix package --help" what values are accepted. In other cases, there is a --list-something option.
>
> Maybe -v is the only case where it would be useful to do something, because you could guess its existence and not use a verbosity level. Maybe fixing the help message to say --verbosity=[0-5] is enough?

Currently it says:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ guix build --help | grep -e -verbo
  -v, --verbosity=LEVEL  use the given verbosity LEVEL
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

We could add “an integer between 0 and 2”, but this was left
non-explicit in case we eventually extend it to -7 to +42.

Maybe there’s a limit on what we can do to help users?  :-)

Ludo’.

Message #13 received at 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36594: No hint for missing argument
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2019 23:45:19 +0200

Le Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:40:58 +0200,
Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> a écrit :

> Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu> skribis:
> 
> > When you type an option that requires an argument, but don't
> > provide one, you get an error message that says there is a missing
> > argument. There should brobably be a hint on what values are
> > acceptable. For instance, there is no way to know from "guix
> > package -v" or "guix package --help" what values are accepted. In
> > other cases, there is a --list-something option.
> >
> > Maybe -v is the only case where it would be useful to do something,
> > because you could guess its existence and not use a verbosity
> > level. Maybe fixing the help message to say --verbosity=[0-5] is
> > enough?  
> 
> Currently it says:
> 
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> $ guix build --help | grep -e -verbo
>   -v, --verbosity=LEVEL  use the given verbosity LEVEL
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
> 
> We could add “an integer between 0 and 2”, but this was left
> non-explicit in case we eventually extend it to -7 to +42.
> 
> Maybe there’s a limit on what we can do to help users?  :-)
> 
> Ludo’.

If users have no idea what value to use though, they just won't use the
feature...

Message #16 received at 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu>
Cc: 36594 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#36594: No hint for missing argument
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2019 22:41:15 +0200

Julien Lepiller <julien <at> lepiller.eu> skribis:

> Le Thu, 11 Jul 2019 22:40:58 +0200,
> Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> a écrit :

[...]

>> Currently it says:
>> 
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>> $ guix build --help | grep -e -verbo
>>   -v, --verbosity=LEVEL  use the given verbosity LEVEL
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>> 
>> We could add “an integer between 0 and 2”, but this was left
>> non-explicit in case we eventually extend it to -7 to +42.
>> 
>> Maybe there’s a limit on what we can do to help users?  :-)
>> 
>> Ludo’.
>
> If users have no idea what value to use though, they just won't use the
> feature...

What about:

  use the given verbosity LEVEL, an integer

?

If that’s fine with you, please push!

Thanks,
Ludo’.

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