GNU bug report logs - #63780
Reversing the grep message output type matching binary files (without the -a option added) changed from stdout to stderr

Previous Next

Full log

Message #45 received at 63780 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: L A Walsh <coreutils <at> tlinx.org>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
Cc: 2773414454 <at> qq.com, 63780 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#63780: Reversing the grep message output type matching binary
 files (without the -a option added) changed from stdout to stderr
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2023 07:50:06 -0700

On 2023/05/31 17:38, Paul Eggert wrote:
> On 2023-05-30 14:01, gnu <at> tlinx.org wrote:
>
>   
>> Why is finding the desired text in a binary file not a "positive finding"
>> as it is in a text file?
>>     
>
> But it is a positive finding. Grep exits with zero status, which is a 
> positive result.
>
> There is no perfect solution here. In the old days when 'grep' reported 
> the situation to standard output, this made stdout confusing and we got 
> bug reports about it. 
I thought binary files were skipped, by default these days (along with
directories).  Only if the user's grep includes binary files should they
get positive findings from binary files.

I think that's the deciding factor -- if they want to scan binary files as
well as text, then positive results should be printed to stdout.

If they want to avoid message about the pattern being found in binary 
files, they
have the option to not scan binary files.

I.e. the tools for them getting those messages or not were already 
present.  It seems
wrong to hamstring grep for those not knowing how to use the tool.


>   

Previous Next

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