GNU bug report logs - #75916
Making ls(1)'s --format clearer

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

From: Samuel Thibault <samuel.thibault <at> gnu.org>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: Making ls(1)'s --format clearer
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2025 21:00:37 +0100

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

Hello,

ls(1) says this about --format:

--format=WORD
       across  -x,  commas -m, horizontal -x, long -l, single-column -1,
       verbose -l, vertical -C

It was not clear at all for my students (and not for me either,
actually), that it's the words that should be used, and not the letters.

The attached patch makes this much more explicit:

--format=WORD where WORD can be
       across  (like  -x),  commas (like -m), horizontal (like -x), long
       (like -l), single-column (like -1), verbose (like  -l),  vertical
       (like -C)

Samuel

[patch (text/plain, attachment)]

Message #8 received at 75916 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Samuel Thibault <samuel.thibault <at> gnu.org>, 75916 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75916: Making ls(1)'s --format clearer
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2025 20:20:54 +0000

On 28/01/2025 20:00, Samuel Thibault wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> ls(1) says this about --format:
> 
> --format=WORD
>         across  -x,  commas -m, horizontal -x, long -l, single-column -1,
>         verbose -l, vertical -C
> 
> It was not clear at all for my students (and not for me either,
> actually), that it's the words that should be used, and not the letters.
> 
> The attached patch makes this much more explicit:
> 
> --format=WORD where WORD can be
>         across  (like  -x),  commas (like -m), horizontal (like -x), long
>         (like -l), single-column (like -1), verbose (like  -l),  vertical
>         (like -C)

Right. It might suffice just to add the parentheses,
and then the description would be of consistent form with:

  --sort=WORD          sort by WORD instead of name: none (-U), size  (-S),  time  (-t),
          version (-v), extension (-X), width


  --indicator-style=WORD
          append  indicator with style WORD to entry names: none (default),
          slash (-p), file-type (--file-type), classify (-F)

I'll adjust accordingly and push if you agree.

cheers,
Pádraig

Message #11 received at 75916 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Samuel Thibault <samuel.thibault <at> gnu.org>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigbrady.com>
Cc: 75916 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#75916: Making ls(1)'s --format clearer
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 2025 21:24:57 +0100

Pádraig Brady, le mar. 28 janv. 2025 20:20:54 +0000, a ecrit:
> On 28/01/2025 20:00, Samuel Thibault wrote:
> > ls(1) says this about --format:
> > 
> > --format=WORD
> >         across  -x,  commas -m, horizontal -x, long -l, single-column -1,
> >         verbose -l, vertical -C
> > 
> > It was not clear at all for my students (and not for me either,
> > actually), that it's the words that should be used, and not the letters.
> > 
> > The attached patch makes this much more explicit:
> > 
> > --format=WORD where WORD can be
> >         across  (like  -x),  commas (like -m), horizontal (like -x), long
> >         (like -l), single-column (like -1), verbose (like  -l),  vertical
> >         (like -C)
> 
> Right. It might suffice just to add the parentheses,
> and then the description would be of consistent form with:
> 
>   --sort=WORD          sort by WORD instead of name: none (-U), size  (-S),  time  (-t),
>           version (-v), extension (-X), width
> 
> 
>   --indicator-style=WORD
>           append  indicator with style WORD to entry names: none (default),
>           slash (-p), file-type (--file-type), classify (-F)
> 
> I'll adjust accordingly and push if you agree.

Sure, thanks!

Samuel

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