Subject: Re: misc/23278: fixes for sh(1) - wrong sections and man pages referred
To: None <sobrado@acm.org>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@weird.com>
List: netbsd-bugs
Date: 10/26/2003 12:03:02
[ On Sunday, October 26, 2003 at 14:10:05 (+0100), sobrado@acm.org wrote: ]
> Subject: misc/23278: fixes for sh(1) - wrong sections and man pages referred
>
> 
> 	2. There is a reference to alias(1) in this man page: "An alias
> 	   is a name and corresponding value set using the alias(1) builtin
> 	   command."  But alias(1) is a link to the C shell man page,
>            csh's alias syntax differs from the sh's alias builtin command.
> 
> 	   I am not sure about this fix: either removing the reference
> 	   to the csh man page and adding a description of the Bourne
> 	   shell alias command, or adding the right man page to the online
> 	   manual.  In any case, referring the csh's alias command is wrong.
> 	   Syntax differs between both implementations of the alias command.

I've just done the following in my copy (even though I've removed all
traces and remnants of csh from my system and so could have an sh/ksh
compatible copy of alias(1) :-)

@@ -301,10 +301,10 @@
 Their meaning is discussed later.
 .Ss Aliases
 An alias is a name and corresponding value set using the
-.Xr alias 1
-builtin command.  Whenever a reserved word may occur (see above),
+.Ic alias
+built-in command.  Whenever a reserved word may occur (see above),
 and after checking for reserved words, the shell
-checks the word to see if it matches an alias. If it does,
+checks the word to see if it matches an alias.  If it does,
 it replaces it in the input stream with its value.  For example,
 if there is an alias called
 .Dq lf

I think the description of the alias built-in command that follows
further down in the manual page is sufficient.

(the sh(1) manual page really needs a good going over by someone who is
a very experienced technical documentation editor, and then by someone
very familiar with *BSD manual page markup -- there are many other
problems)

-- 
						Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098                  VE3TCP            RoboHack <woods@robohack.ca>
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