Re: [PATCH] [gdb/doc]: Updated manpages to be consistent with help

[Bruno Larsen via Gdb-patches <gdb-patches@sourceware.org>]

On 10/16/21 08:44, Philippe Waroquiers wrote:
> On Fri, 2021-10-15 at 10:27 -0300, Bruno Larsen wrote:
>> On 10/14/21 15:56, Philippe Waroquiers wrote:
>>> Note that I started a patch to have the options consistently using --
>>>
>>> But as GDB accepts various layout for options (such as -thisone or --thisone),
>>> it was not very clear it that was a good thing to do.
>>> Pedro e.g. commented that GDB does not use the concept of 'short' and 'long' options.
>>>
>>> Finally, as I understand, the decision was rather to use as cannnical form
>>>     -thisone
>>>    (in the doc and on line help)
>>> and so the manual should then also be aligned.
>>>
>>> Sadly, I had no time to finalize the patch (i.e. to rather systematically use
>>> the single dash convention).
>>> But this patch seems then not to go into what I think is the last agreed direction.
>>>
>>> See the initial RFC in
>>> https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2021-June/179587.html
>>> and RFA in
>>> https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2021-June/179834.html
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Philippe
>>>
>>
>> Hi! I didn't see this patch when writing my own, sorry.
>>
>> As for not going the agreed direction, it didn't sounds "agreed" to me, since Eli agreed with documenting '--' while Pedro preferred '-'. I agree with the argument that GDB doesn't accept short options, since you can't combine them, but the help page still shows the abbreviated versions with a single dash and longer versions with '--' and that causes confusion for users. What the patches are supposed to do is make those 2 pages consistent and avoid user confusion, keeping them as-is because the developers know it makes more sense doesn't fix confusion.
>>
>> My proposed solution is: Let's make them consistent with help, all longer options having '--', use your text explaining that GDB accepts all 8 versions of options despite how they are written, but change it to call "abbreviated" and "longer" options instead, to avoid the "short option" confusion that Pedro has brought up. Does that sound reasonable?
>>
> 
> See also the feedback of Joel.
> https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2021-August/181294.html
> 
> Philippe
> 
> 
Having looked at that e-mail, I think the new version is conforming to the agreed direction of documenting that GDB doesn't care about - or --, but still document it as traditional argument handling does: https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2021-October/182632.html

Thanks for the resources and for looking at the patch

-- 
Cheers!
Bruno Larsen