command line options

[Daniel R. Levy]

In article <7680 at brl-smoke.ARPA>, gwyn at brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) writes:
# In article <2576 at ttrdc.UUCP> levy at ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) writes:
# >':' is special-cased in getopt.c.  Look at the code.
# 
# 	ls: illegal option -- :
# 	usage: ls -RadCxmnlogrtucpFbqisfL [files]
# 
# Works same as -? etc.

Of course it does!  What the dickens did you think I was saying?  Let me
spell it out.  Because of the special status of ':' in getopt.c, not even
the most yoyo, goony programmer can get getopt to recognize ':' as a valid
option flag (contrary to what the article I replied to claimed).  And, unlike
the '-?' folks were complaining about in this group, '-:' cannot POSSIBLY
trip you up by unexpected wildcard expansion under C, Bourne, or Korn shells.

Have I made myself clear[er]?  Hello?  Helloooooooooo?!?!?!?!?
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