Re: Adding FAQ entry: shell built-in (echo/printf/etc.)

[Bob Proulx]

Assaf Gordon wrote:
> Oops, completely missed that one.
> I did not associate the wording of the question ("I am having
> problems with ...") with this type of issue (and coincidentally, the
> two programs at hand were the ones not mentioned: echo,printf).
> my bad.

Originally the FAQ took questions almost directly from the mailing
list questions.  Sometimes it is hard to know what should be the best
titles to get people's attention.  (I intentionally wrote the
explanation style different from the official documentation.  After
all if the official documentation didn't teach the user what they
needed then repeating it again verbatim wasn't going to either.)

Therefore now looking back on it some of those do not grab one's
attention as well as they might.  It would be nice to rewrite many of
them.  However I am really trying hard not to change the URLs for any
of the long lived entries so as not to break any of the references in
the web email archives to them.  But I am very happy to add additional
entries.

Let's expand this into an immediately following entry.  The entries
are not numbered and therefore can be re-ordered and new entries
inserted.  Let's insert this as a new entry.

Originally the faq was simply standard texinfo and then it was
converted into html.  That was when the links became apparent and they
look pretty ugly with all of the encoded characters.  That is why many
of the URLs look pretty ugly when referenced.  I now try to avoid
using any characters that need encoding in the URL.  For example
"echo/test/printf/test/[/kill do not work as documented"
would be encoded:

  
#echo_002ftest_002fprintf_002ftest_002f_005b_002fkill-do-not-work-as-documented

Well...  That is fine of course.  But pretty ugly!  (And I now notice
that test was in there twice.)  Let's simply title it like this.  And
if you want to change it before it has gained a reputation then that
is fine.  It is only the long standing ones that I don't think should
change.  But new entries are slushy before they are frozen.

  @node echo test printf kill
  @chapter echo test printf kill

That may not be completely stylish but is it simple and it produces
this following much simpler URL.

  #echo-test-printf-kill

With that and a few modifications I checked that suggested entry into
the FAQ.

  
https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#echo-test-printf-kill

Thanks!
Bob