Re: printf-like output for gnunet-search

Thank you a lot, Carlo.

Yes, --format (--dir-format) was the original name. Then I saw that the tendency favoured --printf (--dir-printf) more and I changed it – but I have intentionally left -f (-F) for the short name(s). The new name is actually inspired to the -printf argument of find (%s and %f have even identical meaning in both find and gnunet-search), but if you guys think that --format (--dir-format) is better, then I will change it back.

In the meanwhile, silly me, I had forgotten to actually implement the %s specifier for the file size. I did that now (patch attached). I also added a --silent argument for when people only want to create a GNUnet directory and don't care about the output printed on screen. And finally, I tried to expand the help page a bit. Here is the new text:

$ gnunet-search --help

gnunet-search [OPTIONS] KEYWORD
Search for files that have been published on GNUnet
Arguments mandatory for long options are also mandatory for short options.
  -a, --anonymity=LEVEL      set the desired LEVEL of receiver-anonymity
  -c, --config=FILENAME      use configuration file FILENAME
  -F, --dir-printf=FORMAT    write search results for directories according to
                               FORMAT, where %a is the complete list of all
                               the printable metadata available (each member
                               of which will be displayed according to the
                               --prop-printf argument), %f is the directory's
                               name, %l is the directory name's length, %m is
                               the directory's mime type (always equal to
                               `application/gnunet-directory`), %n is the
                               search result number, %s is the directory's
                               size in bytes and %u is the directory's URI; if
                               missing, --dir-printf defaults to the --printf
                               argument; if the latter is missing too
                               --dir-printf defaults to `#%n:\ngnunet-download
                               -o "%f" -R %u\n\n`
  -f, --printf=FORMAT        write search results according to FORMAT, where
                               %a is the complete list of all the printable
                               metadata available (each member of which will
                               be displayed according to the --prop-printf
                               argument), %f is the file's name, %l is the
                               file name's length, %m is the file's mime type,
                               %n is the search result number, %s is the
                               file's size in bytes and %u is the file's URI;
                               if missing, --printf defaults to
                               `#%n:\ngnunet-download -o "%f" %u\n\n`
  -h, --help                 print this help
  -i, --prop-printf=FORMAT   when the %a format specifier appears in --printf
                               or --dir-printf, list each metadata property
                               according to FORMAT, where %p is the property's
                               content, %l is the content's length in bytes,
                               %t is the property type, %i is the property
                               type's unique identifier, %n is the property
                               number and %w is the name of the plugin that
                               provided the information; if missing,
                               --prop-printf defaults to `\t%t: %p\n`
  -L, --log=LOGLEVEL         configure logging to use LOGLEVEL
  -l, --logfile=FILENAME     configure logging to write logs to FILENAME
  -N, --results=VALUE        automatically terminate search after VALUE
                               results are found
  -n, --no-network           only search the local peer (no P2P network
                               search)
  -o, --output=FILENAME      create a GNUnet directory with search results at
                               FILENAME (e.g. `gnunet-search
                               --output=commons.gnd commons`)
  -s, --silent               silent mode (requires the --output argument)
  -t, --timeout=DELAY        automatically terminate search after DELAY (in
                               number of microseconds); if 0 or omitted il
                               means to wait for CTRL-C
  -V, --verbose              be verbose
  -v, --version              print the version number
Report bugs to gnunet-developers@gnu.org.
Home page: http://www.gnu.org/s/gnunet/
General help using GNU software: http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/

Despite the multiple possibilities that the new features offer, I think the most needed one was the simplest one: that of simply launching

gnunet-search -f '%f\n' commons

and print a simple naked list of the files that can be retrieved with the commons keyword, without any URI or distractions (if later I want to actually download something I will omit the --printf argument, or use another format that contains the %u specifier). But the possibilities are really many.

There is still room for additions, but there is also no hurry.

--madmurphy

From:	madmurphy
Subject:	Re: printf-like output for gnunet-search
Date:	Mon, 7 Feb 2022 12:47:51 +0000