Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site fortune.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!fortune!rpw3
From: rpw3@fortune.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: name=value or -n value? - (nf)
Message-ID: <2831@fortune.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Mar-84 04:04:00 EST
Article-I.D.: fortune.2831
Posted: Sun Mar 25 04:04:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 25-Mar-84 20:58:37 EST
Sender: notes@fortune.UUCP
Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, CA
Lines: 66

#R:circe:-4400:fortune:29300004:000:2612
fortune!rpw3    Mar 24 22:27:00 1984

As requested, I am posting a copy of the "quick reference card"
that AT&T has been giving out on the command language standard.
(Sorry, I don't have the full paper on-line.) As it says at the
bottom, send comments elsewhere -- I prefer the TOPS-10/SCAN
style (modified for UNIX). SInce I'm posting this, I get my
licks in first (o.k. to send comments on THIS to me):

    -option		Full word, but abbreviations implemented in 'getopt'
			(as in either "-recursive" or "-rec")
    -nooption		As in "-norecursive" or "-norec".
    -option=yes		Always allowed where "-option" is
    -option=no		Always allowed where "-nooption" is (as in
			"-recursive=no")
    -option=keyword	As in "dd conv=ascii" (but "dd" doesn't like the "-")
			or (new "find") "find . -user=rpw3"
    -option=key,key,...	Lists of keywords or'd with comma (as in
			"find . -name=big,small,fat") as with csh "{,,}"

That's MY preference. Now for "equal time" to AT&T... (below)

Rob Warnock

UUCP:	{sri-unix,amd70,hpda,harpo,ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!rpw3
DDD:	(415)595-8444
USPS:	Fortune Systems Corp, 101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA 94065

----------------------Attachment (Re-Typed from Quick Reference Card)-------

							   ====   
							 ==---===
							=------===
							=------===  A T & T
							 ==--====
							   ====   
Proposed Syntax Standard for UNIX System Commands:

Rule 1:     Command names must be between two and nine characters.
Rule 2:     Command names must include lower case letters and digits only.
Rule 3:     Option names must be a single character in length.
Rule 4:     All options must be delimited by "-".
Rule 5:     Options with no arguments may be grouped behind one delimeter.
Rule 6:     The first option argument following an option must be preceded
	    by white space.
Rule 7:     Option arguments cannot be optionable.
Rule 8:     Groups of option-arguments following an option must be separated
	    by commas or separated by white space and quoted.
Rule 9:     All options precede operands on the command line.
Rule 10:    "--" may be used to delimit the end of the options.
Rule 11:    The order of options relative to each other should not matter.
Rule 12:    The order of operands may matter and position-related inter-
	    pretations should be determined on a command-specific basis.
Rule 13:    "-" preceded and followed by white space should be used only
	    to mean standard input.
							November 1983
---------
*UNIX is a trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories

Send comments to: Software Sales and Marketing
		  PO Box 25000
		  Greensboro, Noth Carolina  27420

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