Re: [dmidecode] [PATCH] dmidecode: Add option to filter output based upon handle

[Elliott, Robert (Persistent Memory)]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hoemann, Jerry
> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2018 3:03 PM
> To: Jean Delvare <address@hidden>
> Cc: address@hidden; Elliott, Robert (Persistent Memory) <address@hidden>
> Subject: Re: [PATCH] dmidecode: Add option to filter output based upon handle
> 
...
> > > diff --git a/man/dmidecode.8 b/man/dmidecode.8
> > > index e3b6b2a..858e56e 100644
> > > --- a/man/dmidecode.8
> > > +++ b/man/dmidecode.8
> > > @@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ typically from files under
> > >  .IR /sys/devices/virtual/dmi/id .
> > >  Most of these files are even readable by regular users.
> > >  .TP
> > > +.BR "-H" ", " "--handle HANDLE"
> > > +Only display the entries whose handle matches \fBHANDLE\fR.  \fBHANDLE\fR
> > > +is a 16 bit integer.
> >
> > The use of plural ("entries") is confusing because each handle number
> > must be unique according to the SMBIOS specification.
> 
> OK. Wasn't sure handles were unique.  The code works either way.
> 
> I'll change to the singular form here and the other locations.

That'll be true for well-behaved system firmware, and it is reasonable
for the help messages to be worded based on that understanding.

If system firmware messes that up, though (hopefully only in pre-production
code), it's helpful for dmidecode to print all of the matching structures.

---
Robert Elliott, HPE Persistent Memory