Re: doc refinement request: re: definition of "word" in "wc" manpage; BUG request

[Eric Blake]

On 03/22/2010 10:01 PM, Linda Walsh wrote:
> I.e. it doesn't include what some might consider to be, "standard",
> (varying, depending on context), characters that could include:
> period, comma, other punctuation or even "NULL".  The only characters
> that separate words in wc are the set (\f \n \r \t \v <SPACE>).

Correct, and this is mandated by POSIX:
http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/wc.html

"The wc utility shall consider a word to be a non-zero-length string of
characters delimited by white space."

> Could a line as simple as "Words in 'wc' are delimited strictly by
> whitespace", or include the characters (\f \n \r \t \v and ' ' (space))?
> 
> I.e. can a bug be opened to ensure that change gets in?

By sending your email, you've already opened the bug report.  Patches
are welcome; would you like to try your hand at submitting a patch for
src/wc.c, in the usage() function, to alter the wording according to
your desires?

-- 
Eric Blake   address@hidden    +1-801-349-2682
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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