GNU bug report logs - #7568
stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'

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

From: jidanni <at> jidanni.org
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2010 10:38:58 +0800

stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'.
Backspaces in filenames are doubled.
stat (GNU coreutils) 8.5

Message #10 received at 7568-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net>
To: jidanni <at> jidanni.org
Cc: 7568-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#7568: stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:27:14 +0100

jidanni <at> jidanni.org wrote:
> stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'.
> Backspaces in filenames are doubled.
> stat (GNU coreutils) 8.5

Thanks for the report, but that's a feature, since backslash
is used to denote e.g., newline (\n), backspace (\b), etc. in
a quoted name:

    $ ./stat -c %N 'a^Hb'
    `a\bb'

If you don't want the quoting, you can use your own format string
with %n in place of %N:

     * %n - File name
     * %N - Quoted file name with dereference if symbolic link

Message #11 received at 7568-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: jidanni <at> jidanni.org
To: jim <at> meyering.net
Cc: 7568-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#7568: stat 'i\i' shows 'i\\i'
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:02:32 +0800

>>>>> "JM" == Jim Meyering <jim <at> meyering.net> writes:
JM> Thanks for the report, but that's a feature...

OK, but the man page or info page should say
* what the default is. I.e., what would the user do if he wanted to make
the same output as
$ stat myfile
but instead the hard way, using
$ stat --format '....
....
...' myfile. And give the \n compact version too...

And in showing this, you would also tip the user off that you are using
%N.

And when discussing %N, give a complete list of what all the \ sequences
are. And mention %n gives them raw if that is what one wants.

Currently this is all not documented.

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