gnustandards ChangeLog standards.texi

[karl]

CVSROOT:        /sources/gnustandards
Module name:    gnustandards
Changes by:     karl <karl>     14/03/31 23:33:37

Modified files:
        .              : ChangeLog standards.texi 

Log message:
        exception for binary output to a terminal

CVSWeb URLs:
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/gnustandards/ChangeLog?cvsroot=gnustandards&r1=1.190&r2=1.191
http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/gnustandards/standards.texi?cvsroot=gnustandards&r1=1.235&r2=1.236

Patches:
Index: ChangeLog
===================================================================
RCS file: /sources/gnustandards/gnustandards/ChangeLog,v
retrieving revision 1.190
retrieving revision 1.191
diff -u -b -r1.190 -r1.191
--- ChangeLog   19 Mar 2014 17:49:23 -0000      1.190
+++ ChangeLog   31 Mar 2014 23:33:36 -0000      1.191
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+2014-03-31  Karl Berry  <address@hidden>
+
+       * standards.texi (User Interfaces): give an exception for binary
+       output (such as a compression program) to a terminal.
+
 2014-03-19  Ineiev  <address@hidden>  (tiny change)
 
        * standards.texi (Command-Line Interfaces): use @indicateurl

Index: standards.texi
===================================================================
RCS file: /sources/gnustandards/gnustandards/standards.texi,v
retrieving revision 1.235
retrieving revision 1.236
diff -u -b -r1.235 -r1.236
--- standards.texi      19 Mar 2014 17:49:24 -0000      1.235
+++ standards.texi      31 Mar 2014 23:33:36 -0000      1.236
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 @setfilename standards.info
 @settitle GNU Coding Standards
 @c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
address@hidden lastupdate March 19, 2014
address@hidden lastupdate March 31, 2014
 @c %**end of header
 
 @dircategory GNU organization
@@ -845,6 +845,13 @@
 is useful with output to a terminal, and have an option for the other
 behavior.
 
+There is an exception for programs whose output in certain cases is
+binary data.  Sending such output to a terminal is useless and can
+cause trouble.  If such a program normally sends its output to stdout,
+it should detect, in these cases, when the output is a terminal and
+give an error message instead.  The @code{-f} option should override
+this exception, thus permitting the output to go to the terminal.
+
 Compatibility requires certain programs to depend on the type of output
 device.  It would be disastrous if @code{ls} or @code{sh} did not do so
 in the way all users expect.  In some of these cases, we supplement the
@@ -853,7 +860,6 @@
 like @code{ls} except that its default output format is always
 multi-column format.
 
-
 @node Graphical Interfaces
 @section Standards for Graphical Interfaces
 @cindex graphical user interface