GNU bug report logs - #71307
Mention recommended styles

Message received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org:

Received: (at submit) by debbugs.gnu.org; 1 Jun 2024 11:38:17 +0000
From debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org Sat Jun 01 07:38:17 2024
Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:55827 helo=debbugs.gnu.org)
	by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2)
	(envelope-from <debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org>)
	id 1sDN3x-0002s6-3f
	for submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org; Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:38:17 -0400
Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]:48350)
 by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2)
 (envelope-from <jidanni@HIDDEN>) id 1sDN3v-0002rz-Mu
 for submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org; Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:38:16 -0400
Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10])
 by lists.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256)
 (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from <jidanni@HIDDEN>)
 id 1sDN3j-0004dG-ML
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:38:03 -0400
Received: from fly.ash.relay.mailchannels.net ([23.83.222.61])
 by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_256_GCM_SHA384:256)
 (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from <jidanni@HIDDEN>)
 id 1sDN3g-0001W4-ER
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Sat, 01 Jun 2024 07:38:03 -0400
X-Sender-Id: dreamhost|x-authsender|jidanni@HIDDEN
Received: from relay.mailchannels.net (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by relay.mailchannels.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 26A3C81DEC
 for <bug-coreutils@HIDDEN>; Sat,  1 Jun 2024 11:37:57 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from pdx1-sub0-mail-a299.dreamhost.com (unknown [127.0.0.6])
 (Authenticated sender: dreamhost)
 by relay.mailchannels.net (Postfix) with ESMTPA id BA0A580BC5
 for <bug-coreutils@HIDDEN>; Sat,  1 Jun 2024 11:37:56 +0000 (UTC)
ARC-Seal: i=1; s=arc-2022; d=mailchannels.net; t=1717241876; a=rsa-sha256;
 cv=none;
 b=RziwQegNwDwnRyKWC8wNJz5gX7F4pLomBAKUttp5CwsuFid9wxasiUj3QcJMfKD8y1abzk
 L0nr2WOYO5H6hdA0/jK5i9dWFvbTRGxgmV1SGtnLH6NmHepmo1YkKUedwQRZ/bmcBGF2Dl
 UkL0/wkC8scMzI8QqoU2EmucyFrnFbwxbtQz4qz/SD+YxXLfDAdsd16d0MsNw9SEuXSvId
 /iRZgE9uV4wOb8mx0UNHRzs80mHbAVF8ClM1TK8/dEW4vui10LsY+QX5FZBJSdLovOojwi
 rr0+0SFxDzKOvVTq6j2ImD5GvXKGo/zOZJrxtM0Km1XSMyAW9J99ZPkmTZKVbA==
ARC-Message-Signature: i=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed;
 d=mailchannels.net; s=arc-2022; t=1717241876;
 h=from:from:reply-to:subject:subject:date:date:message-id:message-id:
 to:to:cc:mime-version:mime-version:content-type:content-type:
 content-transfer-encoding:content-transfer-encoding:dkim-signature;
 bh=LoIqnGCzNXydHkyl5j0hTcbn/2Rx1E4Q+hPiP92grE0=;
 b=seLCp4DwdHS5U3PfO3D9ie6QshnTcEnr7fg272uMk5by0mFOeqE6KCadrQiLVh8dwro0lZ
 dxwoQlvqtf7sZYk2YgHFwzTHGQqUjMfRvRek9K4rWlbCoDRFwf/w9MrykMQxoKb1dWmfgW
 xQL3wv985D9Oj2kIR+/Q3gponWDZrHgVzNCwXLdNSSQd7PgepD3GdITiQpjNaFCu01lnzX
 nL/GmXldxHhR7wdcItowccnMrRU8VJ7+1XES2Hdufb3PiqHDPliEwBqZVZljpdbyHn0V6p
 oaub6g/ExByHwucQUqllG7kr/LJhG24DGdgRX0fZ6d8OLgywsS8Batm0/IVwoA==
ARC-Authentication-Results: i=1; rspamd-79677bdb95-gbpnh;
 auth=pass smtp.auth=dreamhost smtp.mailfrom=jidanni@HIDDEN
X-Sender-Id: dreamhost|x-authsender|jidanni@HIDDEN
X-MC-Relay: Neutral
X-MailChannels-SenderId: dreamhost|x-authsender|jidanni@HIDDEN
X-MailChannels-Auth-Id: dreamhost
X-White-Lettuce: 0fb90996361bf834_1717241876993_1412099348
X-MC-Loop-Signature: 1717241876993:1496567477
X-MC-Ingress-Time: 1717241876993
Received: from pdx1-sub0-mail-a299.dreamhost.com (pop.dreamhost.com
 [64.90.62.162]) (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384)
 by 100.109.219.31 (trex/6.9.2); Sat, 01 Jun 2024 11:37:56 +0000
Received: from jidanni.org (1-165-242-245.dynamic-ip.hinet.net [1.165.242.245])
 (using TLSv1.3 with cipher TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384 (256/256 bits)
 key-exchange ECDHE (P-256) server-signature RSA-PSS (2048 bits) server-digest
 SHA256) (No client certificate requested)
 (Authenticated sender: jidanni@HIDDEN)
 by pdx1-sub0-mail-a299.dreamhost.com (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id 4VryfD4WTYz26
 for <bug-coreutils@HIDDEN>; Sat,  1 Jun 2024 04:37:56 -0700 (PDT)
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=jidanni.org;
 s=dreamhost; t=1717241876;
 bh=LoIqnGCzNXydHkyl5j0hTcbn/2Rx1E4Q+hPiP92grE0=;
 h=From:To:Subject:Date:Content-Type:Content-Transfer-Encoding;
 b=boe3KLdxEy9Vl8svnU5Gr8foxpkTz0+mpB+iIrOO4qzsI0ITRVLFObv/L8n49R6ky
 4SENvYVDbGQNaCfj/xnAMZkHiuuUPlO5nRPWPCNd4JWfeBSmU7qfn65WS2wdQXyHC2
 H3oNEvD5U8vN0U+IrbMZRLfrSuBCLi3C24JpLmVFZlDc4N4Z26Chw/6N9paIFREJYQ
 2SVyVPLk3QlJVhkpLF+rNar1BWEgcqbsu5dLEVBT2JuKiEb2Xaz1rYqP8BT/TBGhHj
 +bT7BPv/FV9HKGnpsxgpxAjjFl79iMDLjCoce79Nx/JLiFBS4IRsGQHGZCbh0UdUm+
 cpuxOf3od5EQg==
Received: from jidanni by jidanni.org with local (Exim 4.96)
 (envelope-from <jidanni@HIDDEN>) id 1sDN3f-0000Qu-2b
 for bug-coreutils@HIDDEN; Sat, 01 Jun 2024 19:37:59 +0800
From: Dan Jacobson <jidanni@HIDDEN>
To: bug-coreutils@HIDDEN
Subject: Mention recommended styles
Date: Sat, 01 Jun 2024 19:37:59 +0800
Message-ID: <87wmn8vqp4.3.fsf@HIDDEN>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Received-SPF: pass client-ip=23.83.222.61; envelope-from=jidanni@HIDDEN;
 helo=fly.ash.relay.mailchannels.net
X-Spam_score_int: -20
X-Spam_score: -2.1
X-Spam_bar: --
X-Spam_report: (-2.1 / 5.0 requ) BAYES_00=-1.9, DKIM_SIGNED=0.1,
 DKIM_VALID=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_AU=-0.1, DKIM_VALID_EF=-0.1,
 RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE=-0.0001, RCVD_IN_MSPIKE_H2=-0.001, SPF_HELO_NONE=0.001,
 SPF_PASS=-0.001, T_SCC_BODY_TEXT_LINE=-0.01 autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no
X-Spam_action: no action
X-Spam-Score: -1.4 (-)
X-Debbugs-Envelope-To: submit
X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18
Precedence: list
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/options/debbugs-submit>, 
 <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/private/debbugs-submit/>
List-Post: <mailto:debbugs-submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
List-Help: <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/debbugs-submit>, 
 <mailto:debbugs-submit-request <at> debbugs.gnu.org?subject=subscribe>
Errors-To: debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Sender: "Debbugs-submit" <debbugs-submit-bounces <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
X-Spam-Score: -2.4 (--)

(info "(coreutils) sort invocation")

First problem. We see e.g.,
"try the ‘--debug’ option"
but '--debug' is not clickable.
If we want to go to its section to read more,
the best we can do is isearch-forward for it.

Next problem. We read

     Also note that the ‘n’ modifier was applied to the field-end
     specifier for the first key. It would have been equivalent to
     specify ‘-k 2n,2’ or ‘-k 2n,2n’. All modifiers except ‘b’ apply to
     the associated _field_, regardless of whether the modifier
     character is attached to the field-start and/or the field-end part
     of the key specifier.

Make sure to mention the recommended style, yes, even though both work
the same.

In fact the style shown all over the page 2,2n isn't the best! I think
you should change all the examples to 2n,2.

Why? Well, think about it, for say 2,5n.. We instruct you to start at
field 2, then go to field 5, and only then do we remember to tell you we
want our sort to be numeric. Sure, the program waits until it gets all
the facts before proceeding. But internally it is actually doing 2n and
then 5, no matter what we gave it, so in fact allowing people to write
2,5n is just an unfortunate choice that now must be grandfathered along
not to break scripts. What's so bad about it? Well one day the program
could have been made even a tiny bit faster by not needing the extra
step of cleaning up for loose input standards.

Anyway just like we specify our meals and seat preferences before
stepping on the plane, and not when getting off, the 2n,2 2n,5 style is
better to recommend.

Coreutils 9.4.