[debbugs-tracker] bug#21325: closed (ls : feature request --width=zero)

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Your message dated Sat, 22 Aug 2015 18:37:00 -0700
with message-id <address@hidden>
and subject line Re: bug#21325: ls : feature request --width=zero
has caused the debbugs.gnu.org bug report #21325,
regarding ls : feature request --width=zero
to be marked as done.

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21325: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=21325
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--- Begin Message --- Subject: ls : feature request --width=zero Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 21:01:47 -0300

Dear developers,

I'm writing to ask for a small change in an already existing feature of "ls" command.

The switch is: -w, --width=COLS

Let it be possible to state size ZERO as being "infinity", for example:

(A)

ls -m -w0

(B)

ls -x --width=0

That will ensure that:

ls -m -w0 | wc -l

1

Meaning that ls will output a single line.

For now a workaround is just use a very big number for width, say -w10000, but this hack must be checked beforehand in any directory.

LSSIZE=1000; test $(ls -x -w$LSSIZE | wc -l) == 1 && echo size $LSSIZE ok || echo size $LSSIZE not ok

I hope :

* I could inspire you to understand the easy modification that's asked

* the usefulness of the modification

Thanks,

Beco

--

Dr Beco
A.I. researcher

"I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant" -- Alan Greenspan

GPG Key: https://pgp.mit.edu/pks/lookup?op=vindex&search=0x5A107A425102382A

Creation date: pgp.mit.edu ID as of 2014-11-09

--- End Message ---

--- Begin Message --- Subject: Re: bug#21325: ls : feature request --width=zero Date: Sat, 22 Aug 2015 18:37:00 -0700 User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.8.0

Beco wrote:

For now a workaround is just use a very big number for width, say -w10000,
but this hack must be checked beforehand in any directory.

That's annoying. Thanks for the bug report. I'm a bit dubious about equating zero to infinity, though, so I installed the attached patch instead. It will let you use whatever large number you like. E.g.:

  ls -w999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

will do the right thing.  For now, you can work around the problem with:

  ls -w4294967295

which should work on unpatched GNU ‘ls’.

0001-ls-allow-w18446744073709551616.patch
Description: Text Data

--- End Message ---