bin/58534: Incorrect information in src/usr.bin/printf/printf.c comment

[torreemanuele6%gmail.com@localhost]

>Number:         58534
>Category:       bin
>Synopsis:       Incorrect information in src/usr.bin/printf/printf.c comment
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    bin-bug-people
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Thu Aug 01 09:45:00 +0000 2024
>Originator:     emanuele6 (Emanuele Torre)
>Release:        $NetBSD: printf.c,v 1.55 2024/07/18 12:08:11 wiz Exp $
>Organization:
>Environment:
>Description:
The comments in printf.c regarding -- are wrong:
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/usr.bin/printf/printf.c?rev=1.55

	/*
	 * printf does not comply with Posix XBD 12.2 - there are no opts,
	 * not even the -- end of options marker.   Do not run getopt().
	 */
	if (argc > 2 && strchr(argv[1], '%') == NULL) {
		int o;

		/*
		 * except that if there are multiple args and
		 * the first (the nominal format) contains no '%'
		 * conversions (which we will approximate as no '%'
		 * characters at all, conversions or not) then the
		 * results are unspecified, and we can do what we
		 * like.   So in that case, for some backward compat
		 * to scripts which (stupidly) do:
		 *	printf -- format args
		 * process this case the old way.
		 */

I also used to think that "OPTIONS None." for all utilities meant that
the utility should follow XDB 12.2 and should not implement "--";
however that only applies to shell special builtins per XCU 2.15:

https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799.2024edition/utilities/V3_chap02.html#tag_19_15
> [...]
> Some of the special built-ins are described as conforming to XBD 12.2
> Utility Syntax Guidelines . For those that are not, the requirement in
> 1.4 Utility Description Defaults that "--" be recognized as a first
> argument to be discarded does not apply and a conforming application
> shall not use that argument.
> [...]

For all other (not shell special builtins) utilities, like printf, -- is
required as per the aforementioned XCU 1.4:

https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799.2024edition/utilities/V3_chap01.html#tag_18_04
> [...]
> OPTIONS
>   [...]
>   Default Behavior: 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 have also checked POSIX Issue 6, and POSIX Issue 7 and that XCU 1.4
note was also present.

Issue 7 XCU 1.4
https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/V3_chap01.html#tag_17_04
Issue 6 XCU 1.11
https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/xcu_chap01.html#tag_01_11

So the code should be fine: printf could still make  printf --  print --
as an extension since printf with no arguments is not specified, but the
information in the comment is wrong/misleading and should be removed in
my opinion.

o/
 emanuele6

>How-To-Repeat:

>Fix: