GNU bug report logs - #9497
join: suggestion for manpage/help enhacement

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Message #11 received at 9497 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Tomas Volka <tomas.volka <at> unicorn.eu>
To: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 9497 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#9497: join: suggestion for manpage/help enhacement
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:48:23 +0200

On Út 13-09-11 | 16:08, Eric Blake wrote:

> If you read both -a and -v, then you realize that -a does more output 
> than -v.  But I agree that this is confusing, and that we can do better.

I agree. Most users will stop reading the manpage when they reach
-a and will expect -v like behavior ( because they didn't reached the -v
yet ). 

> How about the following patch, which adds "also", while maintaining
> line length by deleting the fluff word "coming"?
> 
> From 31046b6d38ab49cb815c8f6c6bc4faf6bb596de6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
> From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
> Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:07:11 -0600
> Subject: [PATCH] join: clarify -a behavior
> 
> * src/join.c (usage): Mention that -a adds to the overall output,
> rather than replacing the default output.
> Suggested by Tomas Volka.
> ---
>  src/join.c |    2 +-
>  1 files changed, 1 insertions(+), 1 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/src/join.c b/src/join.c
> index 694fb55..809eead 100644
> --- a/src/join.c
> +++ b/src/join.c
> @@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ For each pair of input lines with identical join
> fields, write a line to\n\
>  standard output.  The default join field is the first, delimited\n\
>  by whitespace.  When FILE1 or FILE2 (not both) is -, read standard
> input.\n\
>  \n\
> -  -a FILENUM        print unpairable lines coming from file
> FILENUM, where\n\
> +  -a FILENUM        also print unpairable lines from file FILENUM, where\n\
>                        FILENUM is 1 or 2, corresponding to FILE1 or
> FILE2\n\
>    -e EMPTY          replace missing input fields with EMPTY\n\
>  "), stdout);


Yes, i think that the patch above is completely sufficient.

Tom

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