GNU bug report logs -
#31705
five grep / egrep issues
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bug#31705
; Package
grep
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(Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:24:03 GMT)
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Phillip Feldman <phillip.m.feldman <at> gmail.com>
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(Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:24:03 GMT)
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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):
[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]
I would like to report the following unrelated issues:
(1) `grep --help` and `egrep --help` should report the version number.
(2) `egrep [abc]+ *.txt` works as expected, but if I try to do `egrep
^[abc]+ *.txt`, which anchors the pattern to the start of the line, I get
no results,
even though there are lines that match the pattern.
(3) Specifying a pattern for FILE seems to work just fine unless one does a
recursive search.
(4) If one attempts to do a recursive search and omits the starting
directory, it would be helpful if the default were the current working
directory. An
alternative would be to generate a warning or error message. Simply failing
to produce any results is a bad design.
(5) If one provides an invalid regex, e.g., something like '*xyz' (a regex
can't begin with '*'), one should get a fatal error (grep and egrep accept
such a
regex without complaint, and simply return no results).
Phillip M. Feldman
[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]
Information forwarded
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bug#31705
; Package
grep
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(Mon, 04 Jun 2018 07:37:02 GMT)
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Message #8 received at 31705 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):
Phillip Feldman wrote:
> I would like to report the following unrelated issues:
>
> (1) `grep --help` and `egrep --help` should report the version number.
'grep --version' should do what you want. That behavior is specified in the GNU
coding standards.
> (2) `egrep [abc]+ *.txt` works as expected, but if I try to do `egrep
> ^[abc]+ *.txt`, which anchors the pattern to the start of the line, I get
> no results,
> even though there are lines that match the pattern.
The command works for me. For example:
$ echo 'apple' | egrep ^[abc]+
apple
If it doesn't work for you, please supply a complete self-contained test case.
> (3) Specifying a pattern for FILE seems to work just fine unless one does a
> recursive search.
Sorry, I don't understand the problem here. Can you supply a complete,
self-contained test case?
> (4) If one attempts to do a recursive search and omits the starting
> directory, it would be helpful if the default were the current working
> directory.
grep does that; at least grep 3.1 does. Perhaps you have an older version; if
so, please upgrade. For example:
$ mkdir d
$ echo x >d/x
$ cd d
$ grep -r x
x:x
> (5) If one provides an invalid regex, e.g., something like '*xyz' (a regex
> can't begin with '*'), one should get a fatal error (grep and egrep accept
> such a
> regex without complaint, and simply return no results).
The longstanding (i.e., since the late 1970s) tradition here is to treat those
strings as valid regular expressions, e.g., '*' at the start of a regular
expression is treated as if it were '\*'. Many users expect this behavior now,
so we're unlikely to change it. POSIX allows this behavior as an extension.
Reply sent
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Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
:
You have taken responsibility.
(Wed, 01 Jan 2020 07:45:02 GMT)
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Notification sent
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Phillip Feldman <phillip.m.feldman <at> gmail.com>
:
bug acknowledged by developer.
(Wed, 01 Jan 2020 07:45:02 GMT)
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Message #13 received at 31705-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):
No further comment for over a year, so closing the bug report.
bug archived.
Request was from
Debbugs Internal Request <help-debbugs <at> gnu.org>
to
internal_control <at> debbugs.gnu.org
.
(Wed, 29 Jan 2020 12:24:04 GMT)
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This bug report was last modified 4 years and 82 days ago.
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