From: Junio C Hamano <junkio@cox.net>
Date: Tue, 09 May 2006 20:35:01 GMT
Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/6] gitopt: a new command-line option parser for git
Message-ID: <7vlktb2ayy.fsf@assigned-by-dhcp.cox.net>
In-Reply-To: <20060509231031.b62576da.tihirvon@gmail.com>

Timo Hirvonen <tihirvon@gmail.com> writes:

> I think optional arguments are still confusing.  We could support both
> -C (no args) and -C=20 syntax.

Actually, optional numeric arguments are the norm not exception.
Think of "diff -u" vs "diff -u20" for example.  Also I think it
is conventional not to use = for single-letter single-dash
options, so -C (no args -- use the default number of the
implementation whatever it is) and -C20 (the same behaviour in
principle as -C, but use my number instead of the default) are
sane, while -C=20 _is_ odd.

Having said that, I think abbreviating -u20 -n -r to -u20nr
going too far (-nru20 would be palatable perhaps), even if the
implementation allows such, unless you are entering "obfusucated
command line parameters" contest.