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From: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.decus,net.unix,net.usenix
Subject: Re: Favorite operating systems query (UNIX vs VMS flaming!!!)
Message-ID: <916@rti-sel.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Jul-86 10:00:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: rti-sel.916
Posted: Mon Jul 14 10:00:41 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jul-86 07:01:29 EDT
References: <486@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU> <1000@ttrdc.UUCP> <873@rti-sel.UUCP> <1320@psivax.UUCP> <1041@ttrdc.UUCP>
Reply-To: rcb@rti-sel.UUCP (Random)
Organization: Research Triangle Institute, NC
Lines: 51
Xref: utcs net.decus:420 net.unix:8590 net.usenix:659

>
>However, even at best DCL "diagnostics" can be ambiguous.  For example,
>
>$ SHOW USERS/BOGUS
>
>gets me the diagnostic
>
>%DCL-W-IVQUAL, unrecognized qualifier - check validity, spelling, and placement
> \BOGUS\
>
>Hardly pointing out the specific problem!  Better something like this (under
>System V):

Seems reasonable to me. "/bogus" is unknown at that place. Could be in wrong
place or spelled wrong.

>
>$ who -bogus
>who:  illegal option -- o
>Usage:	who [-rbtpludAasHTq] [am i] [utmp_like_file]
>
>r	run level
>b	boot time
>t	time changes
>p	processes other than getty or users
>l	login processes
>u	useful information
>d	dead processes
>A	accounting information
>a	all (rbtpludA options)
>s	short form of who (no time since last output or pid)
>H	print header
>T	status of tty (+ writable, - not writable, x exclusive open, ? hung)
>q	quick who

I have NEVER seen a unix error message like this! At best I have seen

$ who -bogus
who:  illegal option -- o

or

$ who -bogus
Usage:	who [-rbtpludAasHTq] [am i] [utmp_like_file]

Of which I prefer the first as it at least tells me what I did wrong.

-- 
					Random (Randy Buckland)
					Research Triangle Institute
					...!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb