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From: Gary Kline <kline@tera.com>
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Subject: Re: using rcs with `what'
To: rnordier@iafrica.com (Robert Nordier)
Date: Thu, 16 May 1996 16:48:17 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: kline@tera.com, questions@freebsd.org
In-Reply-To: <199605162336.BAA00600@eac.iafrica.com> from Robert Nordier at "May 17, 96 01:36:12 am"
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According to Robert Nordier:
> Gary Kline wrote:
> > 
> >    This is tangential to the standard questions for this group.
> >    (Hopefully.)  It regards the RCS and the `what' utility.
> > 
> >    Has anybody considered hacking the rcs stuff so that our
> >    $src/usr.bin/what utility could be used more widely?
> > 
> >    Since AT&T or <whoever> owns sccs, and since `what' was 
> >    originally built for sccs, the what utility has become 
> >    relatively obsolete.  But given a few minutes of hacks to
> >    the rsc suite, `what' could be much more useful.  Currently
> >    it is only useful if pointed at binaries built with sccs_id
> >    strings.
> > 
> >    Feedback?
> > 
> >    (I happened into this while checking some of my own projects
> >     built with rcs... )
> > 
> >     Sorry if this is an inappropriate subject...
> 
> Seems a good idea to me.  But why not add RCS support as an option
> (say '-r')?
> 
> A lot of people tend to use '@(#)' in shell scripts and such as a
> marker, whether or not they use SCCS.
> 
> While we're at it, why not implement the '-s' option (was it?) which
> terminates the search after finding a single '@(#)' (or RCS
> equivalent)?
> 
> -- 


	I believe that ``-r'' is used already.  How about letting
	the ``@(#) .... <id string>'' be the default and something
	like a ``-w'' flag in case the user does not want `what'
	compatability?

	Any other ideas?  I can do this is fairly short order once
	I dig out the src code.  I want to come to some kind of
	consensus with as many people who would like to see this
	added.

	Lastly, is there anyone at the FSF who oversees RCS/CVS and
	who can include this hack in a new rev??

	Anybody??

	gary

	PS:  I've hacked on/bug-fixed SCCS many years ago.  Good thing
	we don't have it.  SCCS is a rat's nest of kludges.... 
>