Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 02:09:24 +0100 (BST) From: Mark Valentine <mark@thuvia.demon.co.uk> To: Steve Kargl <sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> Cc: Peter Wemm <peter@wemm.org>, "Andrey A. Chernov" <ache@nagual.pp.ru>, Poul-Henning Kamp <phk@critter.freebsd.dk>, Julian Elischer <julian@elischer.org>, cvs-committers@freebsd.org, cvs-all@freebsd.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/lib/libncurses Makefile Message-ID: <200209250109.g8P19OGS084449@dotar.thuvia.org> In-Reply-To: <20020925001714.GA21095@troutmask.apl.washington.edu>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
> From: Steve Kargl <sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> > Date: Tue 24 Sep, 2002 > Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/lib/libncurses Makefile > We already have things in the system that whine at > users if they persist in using them [e.g., gets(3) > and tempnam(3)]. I think that's great at compile time, but at run time it's whining at the wrong people. Users aren't necessarily developers. > According to Garrett, the "new > fangle standard" has a 9 year history, so you've > had plenty of time to update your scripts. See Peter's comment on the availability of these standards until recently (and it's great that this has improved with the Austin Group's work). FreeBSD's sort(1) [at least in 4.6.2] states that the -k option is an _alternate_ syntax. Solaris says it's "obsolete", but has no warning that it will disappear any time soon. There are such things as POSIX-isms, and I avoid those as much as I avoid GNU-isms and BSD-isms. I take reasonable care to create portable code and scripts (wherever I am there's a copy of ORA's "POSIX Programming Guide" at my fingertips, and I do my best to look at whatever standards I can get easy access to - but I'm sorry I can't flick through the Open Group's web site as quickly I can something affordable on a local disk or on paper). > A warnx() statement would a be a proactive way to > have users move into the next decade of computing > without altering the sort +pos -pos behavior. Compile time is fine - as a developer I can deal with that easily. As a user a run-time warning might just cost me a phone call to a support line. Cheers, Mark. -- Mark Valentine, Thuvia Labs <mark@thuvia.co.uk> <http://www.thuvia.co.uk>; "Tigers will do ANYTHING for a tuna fish sandwich." Mark Valentine uses "We're kind of stupid that way." *munch* *munch* and endorses FreeBSD -- <http://www.calvinandhobbes.com>; <http://www.freebsd.org>; To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe cvs-all" in the body of the message
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?200209250109.g8P19OGS084449>