Article View: comp.sys.atari.st
Article #18082Re: standard practices
From: Warwick Allison
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 03:37
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 03:37
33 lines
1869 bytes
1869 bytes
In <1991Mar20.204257.26740@convex.com> rosenkra@convex.com (William Rosencranz) writes:
>while on the subject of standards, can i throw in my 2 cents on another
>plead for consistency?
>it would be really nice if unix-like programs on the ST (or anywhere, for
>that matter) would include the following command line switches:
> -debug to turn on internal debugging, if any
> -help to print a usage synopsis
> -version to print current program version
> -changes to print major changes since last rev (or indicate
> that this is first rev)
-debug - Very rarely used, so should be #IFDEFed out in releaase.
-help - No way! I MUCH prefer "man <command>" - and again, save on program size.
-version - I totally agree, it takes no effort or space, and is useful for updates.
-changes - No, stick it in the manual.
See. Standards only work if they are inarguably beneficial.
Personally, I write more GEM stuff than TOS stuff, and in THAT CASE, "help", "version"
and "changes" are good things to include - because the average GEM user is _potentially_
a dim wit - so it goes to make the program more User Friendly. People who use
command lines are used to using "man" or just "more"ing the documentation.
Warwick.
--
_--_|\ warwick@cs.uq.oz.au
/ * <-- Computer Science Department,
\_.--._/ University of Queensland,
v AUSTRALIA.
Technical Details
Message-ID:
<324@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcspe!cs.uq.oz.au!warwickReferences:
<1991Mar20.204257.26740@convex.com>Show Full Headers
Complete Article Headers
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcspe!cs.uq.oz.au!warwick From: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au (Warwick Allison) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: standard practices Message-ID: <324@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> Date: 21 Mar 91 03:37:39 GMT Article-I.D.: uqcspe.324 References: <1991Mar20.204257.26740@convex.com> Sender: news@cs.uq.oz.au Reply-To: warwick@cs.uq.oz.au Lines: 33