Re: [Fwd: cat: invalid option -- h]

[J. Grant]

Hi,

On 17/09/05 18:31, Alfred M. Szmidt wrote:
> address@hidden removed from CC]
>
>    So why should cat be any different?
>
> Just because two extreme cases support -h as a alias for --help,
> doesn't mean that it is a GNU convention.  You still haven't given a
> good reason why -h should be a alias for --help.

It is a common getopt option to trigger command line help, the most 
common I suggest.  --help is the most common getoptlong option in GNU. 
Perhaps there is a GNU standard which covers this aspect of programs 
user-friendly-ness.

> -h is quite uncommon as a alias for --help in GNU programs, and --help
> is not that frequently used to warrent a short-option for --help.
> Infact, just in binutils, objdump uses -H as a alias, -h is a alias
> for --section-headers.  Frankly, adding -h as a alias for --help only
> causes confusion for users, and any such alias should be removed.

We'll all have to remember to use --help long option if -h is not going 
to be consistent then. We can agree to differ on that if you cannot 
agree with my proposal.

Kind regards
JG