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bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods
From: |
Benno Schulenberg |
Subject: |
bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods |
Date: |
Sun, 04 Aug 2013 11:12:32 +0200 |
Hello Pádraig,
On Sat, Aug 3, 2013, at 18:08, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> - -d, --directory list directory entries instead of contents,
> - and do not dereference symbolic links
> + -d, --directory list just names of directories, not their
> contents
>
> So I was wondering why that clarification was added.
> I guess that it's obvious from the output for -l and -F
> that the symlink is being operated on: [...]
> whereas with -d it's not: [...]
Okay, I see. Although I still think it's an unneeded detail in a
help text, the addition of "by default" makes it better.
> Also I don't like the "just names" in the new description as
> it might imply that it overrides -l or something.
Well, the phrase was taken from the info documentation, where it says:
"List just the names of directories, [...] rather than listing their
contents." :) But I see your point.
The thing is, I have to read the phrase three times before I realize
that "directory entries" does not mean "entries OF directories" but
"entries that ARE directories". The problematic word is "entries",
which makes me think of "items in a container", whereas in fact it
refers to "items on the command line", which requires some stretch
of the imagination.
So I propose the following change:
- -d, --directory list directory entries instead of contents,
+ -d, --directory list directories themselves, not their contents,
(Oh, by the way, when you modify a patch, please make a note of this
in the log message -- I don't like to see changes that I would never
have made booked without further ado under my name.)
For the tail --follow thingy I have the following suggestion:
- -f and --follow[=descriptor] are equivalent\n\
+ an absent option argument means 'descriptor'\n\
Regards,
Benno
--
http://www.fastmail.fm - Or how I learned to stop worrying and
love email again
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Benno Schulenberg, 2013/08/01
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/02
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Benno Schulenberg, 2013/08/03
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/03
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods,
Benno Schulenberg <=
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Bernhard Voelker, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Benno Schulenberg, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Benno Schulenberg, 2013/08/04
- bug#14976: [patch] use semicolons in option descriptions, not periods, Pádraig Brady, 2013/08/04