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Re: bin/21970 (printf(1) breaks when format begins with "-")
The following reply was made to PR bin/21970; it has been noted by GNATS.
From: Alan Barrett <apb%cequrux.com@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%NetBSD.org@localhost
Cc:
Subject: Re: bin/21970 (printf(1) breaks when format begins with "-")
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 09:26:56 +0200
On Mon, 27 Nov 2006, Alan Barrett wrote:
> I don't buy the argument that "OPTIONS None" in SUSv3 means "anybody who
> uses printf(1) needs to insert "--" to guarantee that the format is not
> misinterpreted as an option". At least, not unless somebody can point
> to text in SUSv3 that says so.
I have now found text in SUSv3 that supports the argument that I
rejected before.
Under "Utility Description Defaults" at
<http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/xcu_chap01.html
#tag_01_11>, under the "OPTIONS" subheading, it says
" When this section is listed as "None.", it means that the
" implementation need not support any options. Standard utilities
" that do not accept options, but that do accept operands, shall
" recognize "--" as a first argument to be discarded.
I am now convinced that NetBSD's printf(1) utility's handling of the
"--" option is correct per SUSv3. Treating a format argument that
just happens to begin with "-" as if it was an unrecognised option is
probably also allowed as an implementation extension, though I haven't
found specific text to support that theory.
The only remaining problem is that this use of "--" is poorly
documented. I will work on that when I have time.
--apb (Alan Barrett)
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