Re: Another POSIX incompatibility

[Gary V. Vaughan]

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Hi Eric!

On 1 Nov 2006, at 07:44, Eric Blake wrote:
> I'm thinking that for the head, maybe I
> should turn --synclines into an option with an optional argument,  
> so that
> you can turn synclines off between files as well as on by using -s0  
> (and
> keeping -s as a synonym for -s1).

Is there a practical use for being able to turn off synclines?  More in
keeping with the allow-cli-like-functionality-programatically sub-theme
of m4-2.0 would be to add trace{on,off} inspired synclines{on,off}  
macros...

> And maybe it is time to think about
> adding command line options --pushdef, --popdef, and --traceoff (of  
> those,
> only --pushdef might be a candidate for a short option -p), for  
> even more
> inter-file operational capability.

They sound reasonable, but either way we need to make sure we use the
same paradigm for tracing and synclines -- both from the cli and from
any macros we introduce/improve.

It's a pity -d is taken for --debug, since using -d/-u for push/popdef
to parallel -D/-U for define/undefine :-( What does POSIX have to say
about -d?

> Head also would support -m and -r
> between files (mainly because it was easiest to use the existing  
> deferred
> argument handling mechanism to achieve this patch, by treating  
> intermixed
> files as deferred arguments to option '\1').

If we follow this through properly, we also need a module-unload cli
option: --unload-module with no short option seems okay to me.

And similarly, we should allow -r with no argument to reset the regexp
syntax back to the compiled in default.

I'll wait a few days for feedback and then add them to TODO unless you
disagree with anything?

Cheers,
        Gary
- --
Gary V. Vaughan      ())_.  address@hidden
Research Scientist   ( '/   http://blog.azazil.net
GNU Hacker           / )=   http://www.gnu.org/software/{libtool,m4}
Technical Author   `(_~)_   http://sources.redhat.com/autobook




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