docs/184550: bc -q option not documented in man page

Eitan Adler lists at eitanadler.com
Sat Dec 7 07:11:48 UTC 2013


On Sat, Dec 7, 2013 at 2:09 AM, Xin Li <delphij at delphij.net> wrote:
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> On 12/6/13, 10:48 PM, Eitan Adler wrote:
>> On Sat, Dec 7, 2013 at 1:44 AM, Xin Li <delphij at delphij.net>
>> wrote:
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>>> On 12/6/13, 6:12 PM, Eitan Adler wrote:
>>>> On 12/6/13, delphij at freebsd.org <delphij at freebsd.org> wrote:
>>>>> Synopsis: bc -q option not documented in man page
>>>>>
>>>>> State-Changed-From-To: open->closed State-Changed-By:
>>>>> delphij State-Changed-When: Sat Dec 7 01:06:05 UTC 2013
>>>>> State-Changed-Why: This is intentional.  Won't fix.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Responsible-Changed-From-To: freebsd-doc->delphij
>>>>> Responsible-Changed-By: delphij Responsible-Changed-When: Sat
>>>>> Dec 7 01:06:05 UTC 2013 Responsible-Changed-Why: Take.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=184550
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> freebsd-doc at freebsd.org mailing list
>>>>> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-doc To
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>>>>> "freebsd-doc-unsubscribe at freebsd.org"
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> all options should be documented.  An undocumented option is a
>>>> bug. If we don't want people using it we should document as
>>>> such.
>>>
>>> Well, no, it's not an undocumented option but a bug-for-bug
>>> compatibility shim.
>>
>> Eh?
>>
>>> However as Warren pointed out, it's a bug having it in synopsis
>>> and usage.
>>
>> It is not a bug.
>>
>>> This is fixed in r259058.
>>
>> This is a bug.
>>
>>> With our limited manpower, I think it's more important to improve
>>> our documentation in the direction that we describe our stuff
>>> better, like how to write a vt(4) driver, etc.
>>
>> I agree that we need better documentation for our own features;
>> however, this is not a dichotomy.
>>
>>> rather than documenting the bug-for-bug features which would just
>>> give the reader an impression like "I can write program according
>>> to GNU command line standard and expect the BSD people to
>>> diligently implement bug-for-bug compatibility".
>>
>> A similar discussion occurred when we implemented '==' for
>> test(1). If a program accepts some flag as input, or some text as
>> input, it must be documented.  We may document it as a
>> non-portable, to be avoided feature, but it should not be left
>> alone.
>
> Fair enough, how about this?

Works for me.  Thank you very much!

-- 
Eitan Adler


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