Re: Grep --directories option

[Paul Eggert]

> From: "Alfred M. Szmidt" <address@hidden>
> CC: address@hidden, address@hidden, address@hidden, address@hidden,
>    address@hidden, address@hidden, address@hidden
> Date: Sat, 31 May 2003 12:55:51 +0200
> 
>    OK, how about this solution instead?
> 
> Whats wrong with reverting the behaviour to the way it was before,
> that is in 2.4.x?  Try to open the directory as a file, if that works
> continue, if it doesn't print an error message.

As I understand it, that's roughly what I'm proposing, except that I'm
suggesting that the diagnostic for the troublesome case be changed.
grep 2.4.2 reported something like this:

$ grep pattern dir
grep: dir: Is a directory

whereas I'm suggesting something more like this:

$ grep pattern dir
grep: dir: skipping unreadable directory

The point is that we're trying to improve the diagnostic so that
things are clearer to less-experienced users.

Perhaps a better message could be suggested, since the directory's
read-permission is normally enable, so in some sense the directory is
readable -- you just can't apply 'read()' to it.  Perhaps something
like this instead?

$ grep pattern dir
grep: dir: directory cannot be read as a file