bugfindutils - Bugs: bug #28912, 4.4.2 xargs: manual does not...

 
 

bug #28912: 4.4.2 xargs: manual does not document use of {}

Submitter:  Jari Aalto <jaalto>
Submitted:  Tue 16 Feb 2010 02:50:02 PM UTC
   
 
Category:  documentation Severity:  3 - Normal
Item Group:  None Status:  Fixed
Privacy:  Public Assigned to:  jay
Originator Name:  Open/Closed:  Closed
Release:  4.4.2 Fixed Release:  None
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Mon 22 Feb 2010 12:31:50 AM UTC, comment #8: 

New wording:

-i[replace-str]

This  option is a synonym for -Ireplace-str if replace-str is specified.  If the replace-str argument is missing, the effect is the same as -I{}.  This option is  deprecated;  use -I instead.

James Youngman <jay>
Group administrator
Sun 21 Feb 2010 12:25:51 PM UTC, comment #7: 

Íf, as Andreas said, the token "{}" is used as the
referred "string", this interpretation is difficult
to see directly. The "{}" is not usually
understood as a "string".

May I suggest something like (please improve):

  -i[replace-str]

         This option is a synonym for -Ireplace-str if
         replace-str is specified. With plain -i, this
         is synonym for -I{} which sets replace-str
         token "{}" to mimic the behavior of find(1)
         command.

Jari Aalto <jaalto>
Sat 20 Feb 2010 08:51:28 PM UTC, comment #6: 

The manual page is primarily intended to be reference material.    For a longer and more friendly description of how to use findutils, please see the Texinfo manual.  On my system I can do this by typing "info find".   The most directly relevant section is "Interspersing File Names".


James Youngman <jay>
Group administrator
Wed 17 Feb 2010 03:14:12 PM UTC, comment #5: 


> "But what does the "{}" stand for?"


Nothing special. It is the argument for -I. And the way -I works is documented:

-I replace-str
              Replace occurrences of replace-str in the initial arguments with names  read  from  standard input.

> "Compare to find(1) manual page which reads:"


That one is an entirely different situation. The {} in the exec string is special and not explained somewhere else.

Andreas Metzler <ametzler>
Tue 16 Feb 2010 04:57:41 PM UTC, comment #4: 

But what does the "{}" stand for? That's the question. And There seems to appear no documentation in xargs(1) page about it.

Compare to find(1) manual page which reads:

 [option -exec] ... The string `{}' is replaced by the
 current file name being processed everywhere it occurs
 in the arguments to the command

I'm supposing that the writer has supposed that the reader is already familiar with the find(1) use of {}.

It would be advisable to document the "-I {}" explicitly here as well. It may not otherwise be so straightforward to consider the token "{}" as the referred "string".

Just hoping to see that the manual would be more verbose about the explanation.

Jari Aalto <jaalto>
Tue 16 Feb 2010 04:16:34 PM UTC, comment #3: 

"{}" is not special in any way. Just read the documentation for -I option and mentally replace "replace-str" with "{}".

Andreas Metzler <ametzler>
Tue 16 Feb 2010 04:10:44 PM UTC, comment #2: 

The options -i and -I are documented, but not the token "{}" what it means.

Jari Aalto <jaalto>
Tue 16 Feb 2010 03:08:47 PM UTC, comment #1: 

"-i" is a a shortcut for "-I{}", i.e. it  is shorter way to say use "{}" as argument ("replace-str") for the -I option.

Andreas Metzler <ametzler>
Tue 16 Feb 2010 02:50:02 PM UTC, original submission:  

The manual page of xargs(1) lists "{}" in:

       -i[replace-str]

              This option is a synonym for -Ireplace-str if
              replace-str is specified, and for -I{} otherwise.
              This option is dep‐ recated; use -I instead.


But the meaning of "{}" is not explained anywhere.


Jari Aalto <jaalto>

 

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    Follow 10 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2010-02-22 jay StatusWont Fix Fixed
        Assigned toNone jay
    2010-02-20 jay CategoryNone documentation
        StatusNone Wont Fix
        Open/ClosedOpen Closed
        ReleaseNone 4.4.2
        Summary4.4.2 xargs: manual doe snot document use of {} 4.4.2 xargs: manual does not document use of {}
    2010-02-17 ametzler Carbon-CopyRemoved 20807 -
    2010-02-16 ametzler Carbon-CopyRemoved 20807 -
    2010-02-16 ametzler Carbon-CopyRemoved 20807 -

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