GNU bug report logs - #22498
cmp man page too sophisticated

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

From: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: cmp man page too sophisticated
Date: Sun, 31 Jan 2016 10:45:08 +0800

Man cmp:
       -i, --ignore-initial=SKIP
              skip first SKIP bytes of both inputs

       -i, --ignore-initial=SKIP1:SKIP2
              skip first SKIP1 bytes of FILE1 and first SKIP2 bytes of FILE2
I would say:

       -i SKIP, --ignore-initial=SKIP
              skip first SKIP bytes of both inputs

       -i SKIP1:SKIP2, --ignore-initial=SKIP1:SKIP2
              skip first SKIP1 bytes of FILE1 and first SKIP2 bytes of FILE2

I mean if the user was smart enough to figure that out, he probably
wouldn't be reading the man page anyway.

Message #8 received at 22498 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>
To: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>,
 22498 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#22498: cmp man page too sophisticated
Date: Tue, 2 Feb 2016 00:02:15 +0100

tag 22498 notabug
close 22498
stop

On 01/31/2016 03:45 AM, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson wrote:
> Man cmp:
>        -i, --ignore-initial=SKIP
>               skip first SKIP bytes of both inputs
> 
>        -i, --ignore-initial=SKIP1:SKIP2
>               skip first SKIP1 bytes of FILE1 and first SKIP2 bytes of FILE2
> I would say:
> 
>        -i SKIP, --ignore-initial=SKIP
>               skip first SKIP bytes of both inputs
> 
>        -i SKIP1:SKIP2, --ignore-initial=SKIP1:SKIP2
>               skip first SKIP1 bytes of FILE1 and first SKIP2 bytes of FILE2
> 
> I mean if the user was smart enough to figure that out, he probably
> wouldn't be reading the man page anyway.

'cmp' is not part of the GNU coreutils:

  $ cmp --help | grep bugs
  Report bugs to: bug-diffutils <at> gnu.org

Therefore, I'm marking this as not a bug here.

You may want to discuss this on the diffutils mailing list,
but I think you'll be directed to this sentence in front
of the options list of the --help output:

  Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for short options too.

Have a nice day,
Berny

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