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diff --git a/util/autoconf/standards.info-2 b/util/autoconf/standards.info-2 deleted file mode 100644 index 25570a0..0000000 --- a/util/autoconf/standards.info-2 +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1691 +0,0 @@ -This is Info file ../standards.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the -input file ../standards.texi. - -START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY -* Standards: (standards). GNU coding standards. -END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY - - GNU Coding Standards Copyright (C) 1992, 1993, 1994 Free Software -Foundation, Inc. - - Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this -manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are -preserved on all copies. - - Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of -this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that -the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a -permission notice identical to this one. - - Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this -manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified -versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a -translation approved by the Free Software Foundation. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Syntactic Conventions, Next: Names, Prev: Comments, Up: Top - -Clean Use of C Constructs -************************* - - Please explicitly declare all arguments to functions. Don't omit -them just because they are `int's. - - Declarations of external functions and functions to appear later in -the source file should all go in one place near the beginning of the -file (somewhere before the first function definition in the file), or -else should go in a header file. Don't put `extern' declarations inside -functions. - - It used to be common practice to use the same local variables (with -names like `tem') over and over for different values within one -function. Instead of doing this, it is better declare a separate local -variable for each distinct purpose, and give it a name which is -meaningful. This not only makes programs easier to understand, it also -facilitates optimization by good compilers. You can also move the -declaration of each local variable into the smallest scope that includes -all its uses. This makes the program even cleaner. - - Don't use local variables or parameters that shadow global -identifiers. - - Don't declare multiple variables in one declaration that spans lines. -Start a new declaration on each line, instead. For example, instead of -this: - - int foo, - bar; - -write either this: - - int foo, bar; - -or this: - - int foo; - int bar; - -(If they are global variables, each should have a comment preceding it -anyway.) - - When you have an `if'-`else' statement nested in another `if' -statement, always put braces around the `if'-`else'. Thus, never write -like this: - - if (foo) - if (bar) - win (); - else - lose (); - -always like this: - - if (foo) - { - if (bar) - win (); - else - lose (); - } - - If you have an `if' statement nested inside of an `else' statement, -either write `else if' on one line, like this, - - if (foo) - ... - else if (bar) - ... - -with its `then'-part indented like the preceding `then'-part, or write -the nested `if' within braces like this: - - if (foo) - ... - else - { - if (bar) - ... - } - - Don't declare both a structure tag and variables or typedefs in the -same declaration. Instead, declare the structure tag separately and -then use it to declare the variables or typedefs. - - Try to avoid assignments inside `if'-conditions. For example, don't -write this: - - if ((foo = (char *) malloc (sizeof *foo)) == 0) - fatal ("virtual memory exhausted"); - -instead, write this: - - foo = (char *) malloc (sizeof *foo); - if (foo == 0) - fatal ("virtual memory exhausted"); - - Don't make the program ugly to placate `lint'. Please don't insert -any casts to `void'. Zero without a cast is perfectly fine as a null -pointer constant. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Names, Next: Using Extensions, Prev: Syntactic Conventions, Up: Top - -Naming Variables and Functions -****************************** - - Please use underscores to separate words in a name, so that the Emacs -word commands can be useful within them. Stick to lower case; reserve -upper case for macros and `enum' constants, and for name-prefixes that -follow a uniform convention. - - For example, you should use names like `ignore_space_change_flag'; -don't use names like `iCantReadThis'. - - Variables that indicate whether command-line options have been -specified should be named after the meaning of the option, not after -the option-letter. A comment should state both the exact meaning of -the option and its letter. For example, - - /* Ignore changes in horizontal whitespace (-b). */ - int ignore_space_change_flag; - - When you want to define names with constant integer values, use -`enum' rather than `#define'. GDB knows about enumeration constants. - - Use file names of 14 characters or less, to avoid creating gratuitous -problems on System V. You can use the program `doschk' to test for -this. `doschk' also tests for potential name conflicts if the files -were loaded onto an MS-DOS file system--something you may or may not -care about. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Using Extensions, Next: System Functions, Prev: Names, Up: Top - -Using Non-standard Features -*************************** - - Many GNU facilities that already exist support a number of convenient -extensions over the comparable Unix facilities. Whether to use these -extensions in implementing your program is a difficult question. - - On the one hand, using the extensions can make a cleaner program. -On the other hand, people will not be able to build the program unless -the other GNU tools are available. This might cause the program to -work on fewer kinds of machines. - - With some extensions, it might be easy to provide both alternatives. -For example, you can define functions with a "keyword" `INLINE' and -define that as a macro to expand into either `inline' or nothing, -depending on the compiler. - - In general, perhaps it is best not to use the extensions if you can -straightforwardly do without them, but to use the extensions if they -are a big improvement. - - An exception to this rule are the large, established programs (such -as Emacs) which run on a great variety of systems. Such programs would -be broken by use of GNU extensions. - - Another exception is for programs that are used as part of -compilation: anything that must be compiled with other compilers in -order to bootstrap the GNU compilation facilities. If these require -the GNU compiler, then no one can compile them without having them -installed already. That would be no good. - - Since most computer systems do not yet implement ANSI C, using the -ANSI C features is effectively using a GNU extension, so the same -considerations apply. (Except for ANSI features that we discourage, -such as trigraphs--don't ever use them.) - - -File: standards.info, Node: System Functions, Next: Semantics, Prev: Using Extensions, Up: Top - -Calling System Functions -************************ - - C implementations differ substantially. ANSI C reduces but does not -eliminate the incompatibilities; meanwhile, many users wish to compile -GNU software with pre-ANSI compilers. This chapter gives -recommendations for how to use the more or less standard C library -functions to avoid unnecessary loss of portability. - - * Don't use the value of `sprintf'. It returns the number of - characters written on some systems, but not on all systems. - - * Don't declare system functions explicitly. - - Almost any declaration for a system function is wrong on some - system. To minimize conflicts, leave it to the system header - files to declare system functions. If the headers don't declare a - function, let it remain undeclared. - - While it may seem unclean to use a function without declaring it, - in practice this works fine for most system library functions on - the systems where this really happens. The problem is only - theoretical. By contrast, actual declarations have frequently - caused actual conflicts. - - * If you must declare a system function, don't specify the argument - types. Use an old-style declaration, not an ANSI prototype. The - more you specify about the function, the more likely a conflict. - - * In particular, don't unconditionally declare `malloc' or `realloc'. - - Most GNU programs use those functions just once, in functions - conventionally named `xmalloc' and `xrealloc'. These functions - call `malloc' and `realloc', respectively, and check the results. - - Because `xmalloc' and `xrealloc' are defined in your program, you - can declare them in other files without any risk of type conflict. - - On most systems, `int' is the same length as a pointer; thus, the - calls to `malloc' and `realloc' work fine. For the few - exceptional systems (mostly 64-bit machines), you can use - *conditionalized* declarations of `malloc' and `realloc'--or put - these declarations in configuration files specific to those - systems. - - * The string functions require special treatment. Some Unix systems - have a header file `string.h'; other have `strings.h'. Neither - file name is portable. There are two things you can do: use - Autoconf to figure out which file to include, or don't include - either file. - - * If you don't include either strings file, you can't get - declarations for the string functions from the header file in the - usual way. - - That causes less of a problem than you might think. The newer ANSI - string functions are off-limits anyway because many systems still - don't support them. The string functions you can use are these: - - strcpy strncpy strcat strncat - strlen strcmp strncmp - strchr strrchr - - The copy and concatenate functions work fine without a declaration - as long as you don't use their values. Using their values without - a declaration fails on systems where the width of a pointer - differs from the width of `int', and perhaps in other cases. It - is trivial to avoid using their values, so do that. - - The compare functions and `strlen' work fine without a declaration - on most systems, possibly all the ones that GNU software runs on. - You may find it necessary to declare them *conditionally* on a few - systems. - - The search functions must be declared to return `char *'. Luckily, - there is no variation in the data type they return. But there is - variation in their names. Some systems give these functions the - names `index' and `rindex'; other systems use the names `strchr' - and `strrchr'. Some systems support both pairs of names, but - neither pair works on all systems. - - You should pick a single pair of names and use it throughout your - program. (Nowadays, it is better to choose `strchr' and - `strrchr'.) Declare both of those names as functions returning - `char *'. On systems which don't support those names, define them - as macros in terms of the other pair. For example, here is what - to put at the beginning of your file (or in a header) if you want - to use the names `strchr' and `strrchr' throughout: - - #ifndef HAVE_STRCHR - #define strchr index - #endif - #ifndef HAVE_STRRCHR - #define strrchr rindex - #endif - - char *strchr (); - char *strrchr (); - - Here we assume that `HAVE_STRCHR' and `HAVE_STRRCHR' are macros -defined in systems where the corresponding functions exist. One way to -get them properly defined is to use Autoconf. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Semantics, Next: Errors, Prev: System Functions, Up: Top - -Program Behavior for All Programs -********************************* - - Avoid arbitrary limits on the length or number of *any* data -structure, including filenames, lines, files, and symbols, by allocating -all data structures dynamically. In most Unix utilities, "long lines -are silently truncated". This is not acceptable in a GNU utility. - - Utilities reading files should not drop NUL characters, or any other -nonprinting characters *including those with codes above 0177*. The -only sensible exceptions would be utilities specifically intended for -interface to certain types of printers that can't handle those -characters. - - Check every system call for an error return, unless you know you -wish to ignore errors. Include the system error text (from `perror' or -equivalent) in *every* error message resulting from a failing system -call, as well as the name of the file if any and the name of the -utility. Just "cannot open foo.c" or "stat failed" is not sufficient. - - Check every call to `malloc' or `realloc' to see if it returned -zero. Check `realloc' even if you are making the block smaller; in a -system that rounds block sizes to a power of 2, `realloc' may get a -different block if you ask for less space. - - In Unix, `realloc' can destroy the storage block if it returns zero. -GNU `realloc' does not have this bug: if it fails, the original block -is unchanged. Feel free to assume the bug is fixed. If you wish to -run your program on Unix, and wish to avoid lossage in this case, you -can use the GNU `malloc'. - - You must expect `free' to alter the contents of the block that was -freed. Anything you want to fetch from the block, you must fetch before -calling `free'. - - If `malloc' fails in a noninteractive program, make that a fatal -error. In an interactive program (one that reads commands from the -user), it is better to abort the command and return to the command -reader loop. This allows the user to kill other processes to free up -virtual memory, and then try the command again. - - Use `getopt_long' to decode arguments, unless the argument syntax -makes this unreasonable. - - When static storage is to be written in during program execution, use -explicit C code to initialize it. Reserve C initialized declarations -for data that will not be changed. - - Try to avoid low-level interfaces to obscure Unix data structures -(such as file directories, utmp, or the layout of kernel memory), since -these are less likely to work compatibly. If you need to find all the -files in a directory, use `readdir' or some other high-level interface. -These will be supported compatibly by GNU. - - By default, the GNU system will provide the signal handling -functions of BSD and of POSIX. So GNU software should be written to use -these. - - In error checks that detect "impossible" conditions, just abort. -There is usually no point in printing any message. These checks -indicate the existence of bugs. Whoever wants to fix the bugs will have -to read the source code and run a debugger. So explain the problem with -comments in the source. The relevant data will be in variables, which -are easy to examine with the debugger, so there is no point moving them -elsewhere. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Errors, Next: Libraries, Prev: Semantics, Up: Top - -Formatting Error Messages -************************* - - Error messages from compilers should look like this: - - SOURCE-FILE-NAME:LINENO: MESSAGE - - Error messages from other noninteractive programs should look like -this: - - PROGRAM:SOURCE-FILE-NAME:LINENO: MESSAGE - -when there is an appropriate source file, or like this: - - PROGRAM: MESSAGE - -when there is no relevant source file. - - In an interactive program (one that is reading commands from a -terminal), it is better not to include the program name in an error -message. The place to indicate which program is running is in the -prompt or with the screen layout. (When the same program runs with -input from a source other than a terminal, it is not interactive and -would do best to print error messages using the noninteractive style.) - - The string MESSAGE should not begin with a capital letter when it -follows a program name and/or filename. Also, it should not end with a -period. - - Error messages from interactive programs, and other messages such as -usage messages, should start with a capital letter. But they should not -end with a period. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Libraries, Next: Portability, Prev: Errors, Up: Top - -Library Behavior -**************** - - Try to make library functions reentrant. If they need to do dynamic -storage allocation, at least try to avoid any nonreentrancy aside from -that of `malloc' itself. - - Here are certain name conventions for libraries, to avoid name -conflicts. - - Choose a name prefix for the library, more than two characters long. -All external function and variable names should start with this prefix. -In addition, there should only be one of these in any given library -member. This usually means putting each one in a separate source file. - - An exception can be made when two external symbols are always used -together, so that no reasonable program could use one without the -other; then they can both go in the same file. - - External symbols that are not documented entry points for the user -should have names beginning with `_'. They should also contain the -chosen name prefix for the library, to prevent collisions with other -libraries. These can go in the same files with user entry points if -you like. - - Static functions and variables can be used as you like and need not -fit any naming convention. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Portability, Next: User Interfaces, Prev: Libraries, Up: Top - -Portability As It Applies to GNU -******************************** - - Much of what is called "portability" in the Unix world refers to -porting to different Unix versions. This is a secondary consideration -for GNU software, because its primary purpose is to run on top of one -and only one kernel, the GNU kernel, compiled with one and only one C -compiler, the GNU C compiler. The amount and kinds of variation among -GNU systems on different cpu's will be like the variation among Berkeley -4.3 systems on different cpu's. - - All users today run GNU software on non-GNU systems. So supporting a -variety of non-GNU systems is desirable; simply not paramount. The -easiest way to achieve portability to a reasonable range of systems is -to use Autoconf. It's unlikely that your program needs to know more -information about the host machine than Autoconf can provide, simply -because most of the programs that need such knowledge have already been -written. - - It is difficult to be sure exactly what facilities the GNU kernel -will provide, since it isn't finished yet. Therefore, assume you can -use anything in 4.3; just avoid using the format of semi-internal data -bases (e.g., directories) when there is a higher-level alternative -(`readdir'). - - You can freely assume any reasonably standard facilities in the C -language, libraries or kernel, because we will find it necessary to -support these facilities in the full GNU system, whether or not we have -already done so. The fact that there may exist kernels or C compilers -that lack these facilities is irrelevant as long as the GNU kernel and -C compiler support them. - - It remains necessary to worry about differences among cpu types, such -as the difference in byte ordering and alignment restrictions. It's -unlikely that 16-bit machines will ever be supported by GNU, so there -is no point in spending any time to consider the possibility that an -int will be less than 32 bits. - - You can assume that all pointers have the same format, regardless of -the type they point to, and that this is really an integer. There are -some weird machines where this isn't true, but they aren't important; -don't waste time catering to them. Besides, eventually we will put -function prototypes into all GNU programs, and that will probably make -your program work even on weird machines. - - Since some important machines (including the 68000) are big-endian, -it is important not to assume that the address of an `int' object is -also the address of its least-significant byte. Thus, don't make the -following mistake: - - int c; - ... - while ((c = getchar()) != EOF) - write(file_descriptor, &c, 1); - - You can assume that it is reasonable to use a meg of memory. Don't -strain to reduce memory usage unless it can get to that level. If your -program creates complicated data structures, just make them in core and -give a fatal error if malloc returns zero. - - If a program works by lines and could be applied to arbitrary -user-supplied input files, it should keep only a line in memory, because -this is not very hard and users will want to be able to operate on input -files that are bigger than will fit in core all at once. - - -File: standards.info, Node: User Interfaces, Next: Documentation, Prev: Portability, Up: Top - -Standards for Command Line Interfaces -************************************* - - Please don't make the behavior of a utility depend on the name used -to invoke it. It is useful sometimes to make a link to a utility with -a different name, and that should not change what it does. - - Instead, use a run time option or a compilation switch or both to -select among the alternate behaviors. - - Likewise, please don't make the behavior of the program depend on the -type of output device it is used with. Device independence is an -important principle of the system's design; do not compromise it merely -to save someone from typing an option now and then. - - If you think one behavior is most useful when the output is to a -terminal, and another is most useful when the output is a file or a -pipe, then it is usually best to make the default behavior the one that -is useful with output to a terminal, and have an option for the other -behavior. - - Compatibility requires certain programs to depend on the type of -output device. It would be disastrous if `ls' or `sh' did not do so in -the way all users expect. In some of these cases, we supplement the -program with a preferred alternate version that does not depend on the -output device type. For example, we provide a `dir' program much like -`ls' except that its default output format is always multi-column -format. - - It is a good idea to follow the POSIX guidelines for the -command-line options of a program. The easiest way to do this is to use -`getopt' to parse them. Note that the GNU version of `getopt' will -normally permit options anywhere among the arguments unless the special -argument `--' is used. This is not what POSIX specifies; it is a GNU -extension. - - Please define long-named options that are equivalent to the -single-letter Unix-style options. We hope to make GNU more user -friendly this way. This is easy to do with the GNU function -`getopt_long'. - - One of the advantages of long-named options is that they can be -consistent from program to program. For example, users should be able -to expect the "verbose" option of any GNU program which has one, to be -spelled precisely `--verbose'. To achieve this uniformity, look at the -table of common long-option names when you choose the option names for -your program. The table appears below. - - If you use names not already in the table, please send -`gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu' a list of them, with their meanings, so we can -update the table. - - It is usually a good idea for file names given as ordinary arguments -to be input files only; any output files would be specified using -options (preferably `-o'). Even if you allow an output file name as an -ordinary argument for compatibility, try to provide a suitable option -as well. This will lead to more consistency among GNU utilities, so -that there are fewer idiosyncracies for users to remember. - - Programs should support an option `--version' which prints the -program's version number on standard output and exits successfully, and -an option `--help' which prints option usage information on standard -output and exits successfully. These options should inhibit the normal -function of the command; they should do nothing except print the -requested information. - -`auto-check' - `-a' in `recode'. - -`auto-reference' - `-A' in `ptx'. - -`after-date' - `-N' in `tar'. - -`all' - `-a' in `du', `ls', `nm', `stty', `uname', and `unexpand'. - -`all-text' - `-a' in `diff'. - -`almost-all' - `-A' in `ls'. - -`append' - `-a' in `etags', `tee', `time'; `-r' in `tar'. - -`archive' - `-a' in `cp'. - -`archive-name' - `-n' in `shar'. - -`arglength' - `-l' in `m4'. - -`ascii' - `-a' in `diff'. - -`assume-new' - `-W' in Make. - -`assume-old' - `-o' in Make. - -`backward-search' - `-B' in etags. - -`basename' - `-f' in `shar'. - -`batch' - Used in GDB. - -`baud' - Used in GDB. - -`before' - `-b' in `tac'. - -`binary' - `-b' in `cpio' and `diff'. - -`bits-per-code' - `-b' in `shar'. - -`block-size' - Used in `cpio' and `tar'. - -`blocks' - `-b' in `head' and `tail'. - -`break-file' - `-b' in `ptx'. - -`brief' - Used in various programs to make output shorter. - -`bytes' - `-c' in `head', `split', and `tail'. - -`c++' - `-C' in `etags'. - -`catenate' - `-A' in `tar'. - -`cd' - Used in various programs to specify the directory to use. - -`changes' - `-c' in `chgrp' and `chown'. - -`classify' - `-F' in `ls'. - -`colons' - `-c' in `recode'. - -`command' - `-c' in `su'; `-x' in GDB. - -`compare' - `-d' in `tar'. - -`compress' - `-Z' in `tar' and `shar'. - -`concatenate' - `-A' in `tar'. - -`confirmation' - `-w' in `tar'. - -`context' - Used in `diff'. - -`copyright' - `-C' in `ptx' and `recode'. - -`core' - Used in GDB. - -`count' - `-q' in `who'. - -`count-links' - `-l' in `du'. - -`create' - Used in `tar' and `cpio'. - -`cut-mark' - `-c' in `shar'. - -`cxref' - `-x' in `etags'. - -`date' - `-d' in `touch'. - -`debug' - `-d' in Make and `m4'; `-t' in Bison. - -`define' - `-D' in `m4'. - -`defines' - `-d' in Bison and `etags'. - -`delete' - `-D' in `tar'. - -`dereference' - `-L' in `chgrp', `chown', `cpio', `du', `ls', and `tar'. - -`dereference-args' - `-D' in `du'. - -`diacritics' - `-d' in `recode'. - -`dictionary-order' - `-d' in `look'. - -`diff' - `-d' in `tar'. - -`digits' - `-n' in `csplit'. - -`directory' - Specify the directory to use, in various programs. In `ls', it - means to show directories themselves rather than their contents. - In `rm' and `ln', it means to not treat links to directories - specially. - -`discard-all' - `-x' in `strip'. - -`discard-locals' - `-X' in `strip'. - -`diversions' - `-N' in `m4'. - -`dry-run' - `-n' in Make. - -`ed' - `-e' in `diff'. - -`elide-empty-files' - `-z' in `csplit'. - -`entire-new-file' - `-N' in `diff'. - -`environment-overrides' - `-e' in Make. - -`eof' - `-e' in `xargs'. - -`epoch' - Used in GDB. - -`error-limit' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`error-output' - `-o' in `m4'. - -`escape' - `-b' in `ls'. - -`exclude-from' - `-X' in `tar'. - -`exec' - Used in GDB. - -`exit' - `-x' in `xargs'. - -`exit-0' - `-e' in `unshar'. - -`expand-tabs' - `-t' in `diff'. - -`expression' - `-e' in `sed'. - -`extern-only' - `-g' in `nm'. - -`extract' - `-i' in `cpio'; `-x' in `tar'. - -`faces' - `-f' in `finger'. - -`fast' - `-f' in `su'. - -`fatal-warnings' - `-E' in `m4'. - -`file' - `-f' in `info', Make, `mt', and `tar'; `-n' in `sed'; `-r' in - `touch'. - -`file-prefix' - `-b' in Bison. - -`file-type' - `-F' in `ls'. - -`files-from' - `-T' in `tar'. - -`fill-column' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`flag-truncation' - `-F' in `ptx'. - -`fixed-output-files' - `-y' in Bison. - -`follow' - `-f' in `tail'. - -`footnote-style' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`force' - `-f' in `cp', `ln', `mv', and `rm'. - -`force-prefix' - `-F' in `shar'. - -`format' - Used in `ls', `time', and `ptx'. - -`forward-search' - `-F' in `etags'. - -`fullname' - Used in GDB. - -`gap-size' - `-g' in `ptx'. - -`get' - `-x' in `tar'. - -`graphic' - `-i' in `ul'. - -`graphics' - `-g' in `recode'. - -`group' - `-g' in `install'. - -`gzip' - `-z' in `tar' and `shar'. - -`hashsize' - `-H' in `m4'. - -`header' - `-h' in `objdump' and `recode' - -`heading' - `-H' in `who'. - -`help' - Used to ask for brief usage information. - -`here-delimiter' - `-d' in `shar'. - -`hide-control-chars' - `-q' in `ls'. - -`idle' - `-u' in `who'. - -`ifdef' - `-D' in `diff'. - -`ignore' - `-I' in `ls'; `-x' in `recode'. - -`ignore-all-space' - `-w' in `diff'. - -`ignore-backups' - `-B' in `ls'. - -`ignore-blank-lines' - `-B' in `diff'. - -`ignore-case' - `-f' in `look' and `ptx'; `-i' in `diff'. - -`ignore-errors' - `-i' in Make. - -`ignore-file' - `-i' in `ptx'. - -`ignore-indentation' - `-S' in `etags'. - -`ignore-init-file' - `-f' in Oleo. - -`ignore-interrupts' - `-i' in `tee'. - -`ignore-matching-lines' - `-I' in `diff'. - -`ignore-space-change' - `-b' in `diff'. - -`ignore-zeros' - `-i' in `tar'. - -`include' - `-i' in `etags'; `-I' in `m4'. - -`include-dir' - `-I' in Make. - -`incremental' - `-G' in `tar'. - -`info' - `-i', `-l', and `-m' in Finger. - -`initial' - `-i' in `expand'. - -`initial-tab' - `-T' in `diff'. - -`inode' - `-i' in `ls'. - -`interactive' - `-i' in `cp', `ln', `mv', `rm'; `-e' in `m4'; `-p' in `xargs'; - `-w' in `tar'. - -`intermix-type' - `-p' in `shar'. - -`jobs' - `-j' in Make. - -`just-print' - `-n' in Make. - -`keep-going' - `-k' in Make. - -`keep-files' - `-k' in `csplit'. - -`kilobytes' - `-k' in `du' and `ls'. - -`level-for-gzip' - `-g' in `shar'. - -`line-bytes' - `-C' in `split'. - -`lines' - Used in `split', `head', and `tail'. - -`link' - `-l' in `cpio'. - -`list' - `-t' in `cpio'; `-l' in `recode'. - -`list' - `-t' in `tar'. - -`literal' - `-N' in `ls'. - -`load-average' - `-l' in Make. - -`login' - Used in `su'. - -`machine' - No listing of which programs already use this; someone should - check to see if any actually do and tell `gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu'. - -`macro-name' - `-M' in `ptx'. - -`mail' - `-m' in `hello' and `uname'. - -`make-directories' - `-d' in `cpio'. - -`makefile' - `-f' in Make. - -`mapped' - Used in GDB. - -`max-args' - `-n' in `xargs'. - -`max-chars' - `-n' in `xargs'. - -`max-lines' - `-l' in `xargs'. - -`max-load' - `-l' in Make. - -`max-procs' - `-P' in `xargs'. - -`mesg' - `-T' in `who'. - -`message' - `-T' in `who'. - -`minimal' - `-d' in `diff'. - -`mixed-uuencode' - `-M' in `shar'. - -`mode' - `-m' in `install', `mkdir', and `mkfifo'. - -`modification-time' - `-m' in `tar'. - -`multi-volume' - `-M' in `tar'. - -`name-prefix' - `-a' in Bison. - -`nesting-limit' - `-L' in `m4'. - -`net-headers' - `-a' in `shar'. - -`new-file' - `-W' in Make. - -`no-builtin-rules' - `-r' in Make. - -`no-character-count' - `-w' in `shar'. - -`no-check-existing' - `-x' in `shar'. - -`no-create' - `-c' in `touch'. - -`no-defines' - `-D' in `etags'. - -`no-dereference' - `-d' in `cp'. - -`no-keep-going' - `-S' in Make. - -`no-lines' - `-l' in Bison. - -`no-piping' - `-P' in `shar'. - -`no-prof' - `-e' in `gprof'. - -`no-sort' - `-p' in `nm'. - -`no-split' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`no-static' - `-a' in `gprof'. - -`no-time' - `-E' in `gprof'. - -`no-timestamp' - `-m' in `shar'. - -`no-validate' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`no-verbose' - `-v' in `shar'. - -`no-warn' - Used in various programs to inhibit warnings. - -`node' - `-n' in `info'. - -`nodename' - `-n' in `uname'. - -`nonmatching' - `-f' in `cpio'. - -`nstuff' - `-n' in `objdump'. - -`null' - `-0' in `xargs'. - -`number' - `-n' in `cat'. - -`number-nonblank' - `-b' in `cat'. - -`numeric-sort' - `-n' in `nm'. - -`numeric-uid-gid' - `-n' in `cpio' and `ls'. - -`nx' - Used in GDB. - -`old-archive' - `-o' in `tar'. - -`old-file' - `-o' in Make. - -`one-file-system' - `-l' in `tar', `cp', and `du'. - -`only-file' - `-o' in `ptx'. - -`only-prof' - `-f' in `gprof'. - -`only-time' - `-F' in `gprof'. - -`output' - In various programs, specify the output file name. - -`output-prefix' - `-o' in `shar'. - -`override' - `-o' in `rm'. - -`overwrite' - `-c' in `unshar'. - -`owner' - `-o' in `install'. - -`paginate' - `-l' in `diff'. - -`paragraph-indent' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`parents' - `-p' in `mkdir' and `rmdir'. - -`pass-all' - `-p' in `ul'. - -`pass-through' - `-p' in `cpio'. - -`port' - `-P' in `finger'. - -`portability' - `-c' in `cpio' and `tar'. - -`prefix-builtins' - `-P' in `m4'. - -`prefix' - `-f' in `csplit'. - -`preserve' - Used in `tar' and `cp'. - -`preserve-environment' - `-p' in `su'. - -`preserve-modification-time' - `-m' in `cpio'. - -`preserve-order' - `-s' in `tar'. - -`preserve-permissions' - `-p' in `tar'. - -`print' - `-l' in `diff'. - -`print-chars' - `-L' in `cmp'. - -`print-data-base' - `-p' in Make. - -`print-directory' - `-w' in Make. - -`print-file-name' - `-o' in `nm'. - -`print-symdefs' - `-s' in `nm'. - -`query-user' - `-X' in `shar'. - -`question' - `-q' in Make. - -`quiet' - Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. *Note:* every - program accepting `--quiet' should accept `--silent' as a synonym. - -`quote-name' - `-Q' in `ls'. - -`rcs' - `-n' in `diff'. - -`read-full-blocks' - `-B' in `tar'. - -`readnow' - Used in GDB. - -`recon' - `-n' in Make. - -`record-number' - `-R' in `tar'. - -`recursive' - Used in `chgrp', `chown', `cp', `ls', `diff', and `rm'. - -`reference-limit' - Used in Makeinfo. - -`references' - `-r' in `ptx'. - -`regex' - `-r' in `tac'. - -`release' - `-r' in `uname'. - -`relocation' - `-r' in `objdump'. - -`rename' - `-r' in `cpio'. - -`replace' - `-i' in `xargs'. - -`report-identical-files' - `-s' in `diff'. - -`reset-access-time' - `-a' in `cpio'. - -`reverse' - `-r' in `ls' and `nm'. - -`reversed-ed' - `-f' in `diff'. - -`right-side-defs' - `-R' in `ptx'. - -`same-order' - `-s' in `tar'. - -`same-permissions' - `-p' in `tar'. - -`save' - `-g' in `stty'. - -`se' - Used in GDB. - -`sentence-regexp' - `-S' in `ptx'. - -`separate-dirs' - `-S' in `du'. - -`separator' - `-s' in `tac'. - -`sequence' - Used by `recode' to chose files or pipes for sequencing passes. - -`shell' - `-s' in `su'. - -`show-all' - `-A' in `cat'. - -`show-c-function' - `-p' in `diff'. - -`show-ends' - `-E' in `cat'. - -`show-function-line' - `-F' in `diff'. - -`show-tabs' - `-T' in `cat'. - -`silent' - Used in many programs to inhibit the usual output. *Note:* every - program accepting `--silent' should accept `--quiet' as a synonym. - -`size' - `-s' in `ls'. - -`sort' - Used in `ls'. - -`sparse' - `-S' in `tar'. - -`speed-large-files' - `-H' in `diff'. - -`split-at' - `-E' in `unshar'. - -`split-size-limit' - `-L' in `shar'. - -`squeeze-blank' - `-s' in `cat'. - -`starting-file' - Used in `tar' and `diff' to specify which file within a directory - to start processing with. - -`stdin-file-list' - `-S' in `shar'. - -`stop' - `-S' in Make. - -`strict' - `-s' in `recode'. - -`strip' - `-s' in `install'. - -`strip-all' - `-s' in `strip'. - -`strip-debug' - `-S' in `strip'. - -`submitter' - `-s' in `shar'. - -`suffix' - `-S' in `cp', `ln', `mv'. - -`suffix-format' - `-b' in `csplit'. - -`sum' - `-s' in `gprof'. - -`summarize' - `-s' in `du'. - -`symbolic' - `-s' in `ln'. - -`symbols' - Used in GDB and `objdump'. - -`synclines' - `-s' in `m4'. - -`sysname' - `-s' in `uname'. - -`tabs' - `-t' in `expand' and `unexpand'. - -`tabsize' - `-T' in `ls'. - -`terminal' - `-T' in `tput' and `ul'. - -`text' - `-a' in `diff'. - -`text-files' - `-T' in `shar'. - -`time' - Used in `ls' and `touch'. - -`to-stdout' - `-O' in `tar'. - -`total' - `-c' in `du'. - -`touch' - `-t' in Make, `ranlib', and `recode'. - -`trace' - `-t' in `m4'. - -`traditional' - `-t' in `hello'; `-G' in `m4' and `ptx'. - -`tty' - Used in GDB. - -`typedefs' - `-t' in `etags'. - -`typedefs-and-c++' - `-T' in `etags'. - -`typeset-mode' - `-t' in `ptx'. - -`uncompress' - `-z' in `tar'. - -`unconditional' - `-u' in `cpio'. - -`undefine' - `-U' in `m4'. - -`undefined-only' - `-u' in `nm'. - -`update' - `-u' in `cp', `etags', `mv', `tar'. - -`uuencode' - `-B' in `shar'. - -`vanilla-operation' - `-V' in `shar'. - -`verbose' - Print more information about progress. Many programs support this. - -`verify' - `-W' in `tar'. - -`version' - Print the version number. - -`version-control' - `-V' in `cp', `ln', `mv'. - -`vgrind' - `-v' in `etags'. - -`volume' - `-V' in `tar'. - -`what-if' - `-W' in Make. - -`whole-size-limit' - `-l' in `shar'. - -`width' - `-w' in `ls' and `ptx'. - -`word-regexp' - `-W' in `ptx'. - -`writable' - `-T' in `who'. - -`zeros' - `-z' in `gprof'. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Documentation, Next: Releases, Prev: User Interfaces, Up: Top - -Documenting Programs -******************** - - Please use Texinfo for documenting GNU programs. See the Texinfo -manual, either the hardcopy or the version in the GNU Emacs Info -subsystem (`C-h i'). See existing GNU Texinfo files (e.g., those under -the `man/' directory in the GNU Emacs distribution) for examples. - - The title page of the manual should state the version of the program -which the manual applies to. The Top node of the manual should also -contain this information. If the manual is changing more frequently -than or independent of the program, also state a version number for the -manual in both of these places. - - The manual should document all command-line arguments and all -commands. It should give examples of their use. But don't organize -the manual as a list of features. Instead, organize it by the concepts -a user will have before reaching that point in the manual. Address the -goals that a user will have in mind, and explain how to accomplish -them. Don't use Unix man pages as a model for how to write GNU -documentation; they are a bad example to follow. - - The manual should have a node named `PROGRAM Invocation' or -`Invoking PROGRAM', where PROGRAM stands for the name of the program -being described, as you would type it in the shell to run the program. -This node (together with its subnodes, if any) should describe the -program's command line arguments and how to run it (the sort of -information people would look in a man page for). Start with an -`@example' containing a template for all the options and arguments that -the program uses. - - Alternatively, put a menu item in some menu whose item name fits one -of the above patterns. This identifies the node which that item points -to as the node for this purpose, regardless of the node's actual name. - - There will be automatic features for specifying a program name and -quickly reading just this part of its manual. - - If one manual describes several programs, it should have such a node -for each program described. - - In addition to its manual, the package should have a file named -`NEWS' which contains a list of user-visible changes worth mentioning. -In each new release, add items to the front of the file and identify -the version they pertain to. Don't discard old items; leave them in -the file after the newer items. This way, a user upgrading from any -previous version can see what is new. - - If the `NEWS' file gets very long, move some of the older items into -a file named `ONEWS' and put a note at the end referring the user to -that file. - - Please do not use the term "pathname" that is used in Unix -documentation; use "file name" (two words) instead. We use the term -"path" only for search paths, which are lists of file names. - - It is ok to supply a man page for the program as well as a Texinfo -manual if you wish to. But keep in mind that supporting a man page -requires continual effort, each time the program is changed. Any time -you spend on the man page is time taken away from more useful things you -could contribute. - - Thus, even if a user volunteers to donate a man page, you may find -this gift costly to accept. Unless you have time on your hands, it may -be better to refuse the man page unless the same volunteer agrees to -take full responsibility for maintaining it--so that you can wash your -hands of it entirely. If the volunteer ceases to do the job, then -don't feel obliged to pick it up yourself; it may be better to withdraw -the man page until another volunteer offers to carry on with it. - - Alternatively, if you expect the discrepancies to be small enough -that the man page remains useful, put a prominent note near the -beginning of the man page explaining that you don't maintain it and -that the Texinfo manual is more authoritative, and describing how to -access the Texinfo documentation. - - -File: standards.info, Node: Releases, Prev: Documentation, Up: Top - -Making Releases -*************** - - Package the distribution of Foo version 69.96 in a gzipped tar file -named `foo-69.96.tar.gz'. It should unpack into a subdirectory named -`foo-69.96'. - - Building and installing the program should never modify any of the -files contained in the distribution. This means that all the files -that form part of the program in any way must be classified into "source -files" and "non-source files". Source files are written by humans and -never changed automatically; non-source files are produced from source -files by programs under the control of the Makefile. - - Naturally, all the source files must be in the distribution. It is -okay to include non-source files in the distribution, provided they are -up-to-date and machine-independent, so that building the distribution -normally will never modify them. We commonly include non-source files -produced by Bison, Lex, TeX, and Makeinfo; this helps avoid unnecessary -dependencies between our distributions, so that users can install -whichever packages they want to install. - - Non-source files that might actually be modified by building and -installing the program should *never* be included in the distribution. -So if you do distribute non-source files, always make sure they are up -to date when you make a new distribution. - - Make sure that the directory into which the distribution unpacks (as -well as any subdirectories) are all world-writable (octal mode 777). -This is so that old versions of `tar' which preserve the ownership and -permissions of the files from the tar archive will be able to extract -all the files even if the user is unprivileged. - - Make sure that all the files in the distribution are world-readable. - - Make sure that no file name in the distribution is more than 14 -characters long. Likewise, no file created by building the program -should have a name longer than 14 characters. The reason for this is -that some systems adhere to a foolish interpretation of the POSIX -standard, and refuse to open a longer name, rather than truncating as -they did in the past. - - Don't include any symbolic links in the distribution itself. If the -tar file contains symbolic links, then people cannot even unpack it on -systems that don't support symbolic links. Also, don't use multiple -names for one file in different directories, because certain file -systems cannot handle this and that prevents unpacking the distribution. - - Try to make sure that all the file names will be unique on MS-DOG. A -name on MS-DOG consists of up to 8 characters, optionally followed by a -period and up to three characters. MS-DOG will truncate extra -characters both before and after the period. Thus, `foobarhacker.c' -and `foobarhacker.o' are not ambiguous; they are truncated to -`foobarha.c' and `foobarha.o', which are distinct. - - Include in your distribution a copy of the `texinfo.tex' you used to -test print any `*.texinfo' files. - - Likewise, if your program uses small GNU software packages like -regex, getopt, obstack, or termcap, include them in the distribution -file. Leaving them out would make the distribution file a little -smaller at the expense of possible inconvenience to a user who doesn't -know what other files to get. - - |