Re: man pages must still work minimally

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   >    Thanks for reporting those.
   >    I've done this:
   >
   >       * src/ls.c (usage): Clarify description of --author.
   >
   > I don't know how you clarified it, but if you did what I think you
   > did, i.e. added something like "print it only in when doing a long
   > listing".  Then it would be a good idea to do the same thing to other
   > options that "depend" on -l.  A quick look produces the following list
   > of options (not sorted in any particular way):
   >
   >   -s, --size                 print size of each file, in blocks
   >       --time=WORD            show time as WORD instead of modification 
time:
   >       --time-style=STYLE     show times using style STYLE:
   >   -i, --inode                print index number of each file
   >       --si                   likewise, but use powers of 1000 not 1024
   >   -h, --human-readable  print sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 
234M 2G)
   >   -G, --no-group             inhibit display of group information

   Would you like to do that?

Your wish is my command, patch at the end.  Should cover all cases.

   The latest should be available from savannah.

   Here's the change I made:

Thanks.

   --- src/ls.c 5 Oct 2004 17:38:15 -0000       1.366
   +++ src/ls.c 19 Nov 2004 19:29:55 -0000      1.367
   @@ -4057,7 +4057,7 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are 
                                 follow symbolic links listed on the command 
line\n\
          --dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir\n\
                                 follow each command line symbolic link\n\
   -                               that points to a directory\n\
   +                             that points to a directory\n\
          --hide=PATTERN         do not list implied entries matching shell 
PATTERN\n\
                                   (overridden by -a or -A)\n\
    "), stdout);

Am I the only one who doesn't like this?  It easier on the eyes when
it is indented.  I would say that this is a bug in help2man, not in
the output listing.  Infact, I would prefer to have this used
consistently in all GNU projects.

2004-11-19  Alfred M. Szmidt  <address@hidden>

        * src/ls.c (usage): Clarified description of --no-group (-G),
        --human-readable (-h), --inode (-i), --size (-s), --time,
        and --time-style.

--- src/ls.c    05 Oct 2004 19:38:15 +0200      1.366
+++ src/ls.c    19 Nov 2004 22:28:37 +0100      
@@ -4050,8 +4050,9 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are 
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
   -g                         like -l, but do not list owner\n\
-  -G, --no-group             inhibit display of group information\n\
-  -h, --human-readable  print sizes in human readable format (e.g., 1K 234M 
2G)\n\
+  -G, --no-group             like -l, but do not list group\n\
+  -h, --human-readable       with -l, print sizes in human readable format\n\
+                               (e.g., 1K 234M 2G)\n\
       --si                   likewise, but use powers of 1000 not 1024\n\
   -H, --dereference-command-line\n\
                              follow symbolic links listed on the command 
line\n\
@@ -4064,7 +4065,7 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are 
       fputs (_("\
       --indicator-style=WORD append indicator with style WORD to entry 
names:\n\
                                none (default), classify (-F), file-type (-p)\n\
-  -i, --inode                print index number of each file\n\
+  -i, --inode                with -l, print the index number of each file\n\
   -I, --ignore=PATTERN       do not list implied entries matching shell 
PATTERN\n\
   -k                         like --block-size=1K\n\
 "), stdout);
@@ -4093,19 +4094,19 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are 
       fputs (_("\
   -r, --reverse              reverse order while sorting\n\
   -R, --recursive            list subdirectories recursively\n\
-  -s, --size                 print size of each file, in blocks\n\
+  -s, --size                 with -l, print size of each file, in blocks\n\
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
   -S                         sort by file size\n\
       --sort=WORD            extension -X, none -U, size -S, time -t,\n\
                                version -v\n\
                              status -c, time -t, atime -u, access -u, use -u\n\
-      --time=WORD            show time as WORD instead of modification time:\n\
+      --time=WORD            with -l, show time as WORD instead of 
modification time:\n\
                                atime, access, use, ctime or status; use\n\
                                specified time as sort key if --sort=time\n\
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
-      --time-style=STYLE     show times using style STYLE:\n\
+      --time-style=STYLE     with -l, show times using style STYLE:\n\
                                full-iso, long-iso, iso, locale, +FORMAT\n\
                              FORMAT is interpreted like `date'; if FORMAT is\n\
                              FORMAT1<newline>FORMAT2, FORMAT1 applies to\n\