GNU bug report logs - #52115
Suggestion: LN command should swap TARGET and LINK_NAME if LINK_NAME already exists

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
To: 52115 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 52115-submitter <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#52115: Suggestion: LN command should swap TARGET and LINK_NAME if LINK_NAME already exists
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2021 23:41:50 -0700

Paul Eggert wrote:
> Bob Proulx wrote:
> > mv calls it SOURCE and DEST.  cp calls it SOURCE and DEST.  Perhaps ln
> > should also call it SOURCE and DEST too for consistency?
> 
> That's what ln did long ago, but that wording was deemed too confusing.
> Here's where we changed it to use something more like the current wording:
> 
> https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/coreutils.git/commit/?id=519365bb089cf90bdc780c37292938f42019c7ea

This just proves that there is no perfect solution.  It's a flip-flop
with either state having inperfections.

My first thought was how humorous this situation is that due to
complaints about the documentation we would be lead in a circle back
to the beginning when this was changed previously due to complaints
about the documentation.

Bob

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.