Re: There's a whole in my java dear list group, dear list group...
Re: There's a whole in my java dear list group, dear list group...
- Subject: Re: There's a whole in my java dear list group, dear list group...
- From: Chuck Hill <email@hidden>
- Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 10:51:39 -0700
At 11:09 AM 12/07/2003 +0100, Jonathan Fleming wrote:
>> >I've been trying figure out what such things as, "-f", "-a", "-o" etc
>> >are.
>>
>>They are options unique to a particular "command" which is just a special
>>kind of program. Each command has its own options, some are similar like
>>-f for file only because of the English language. The go after the command
>>on the command line to alter or control the behaviour of the command, e.g.
>>
>>gnutar -x -f mytar.tar
>>
>>Which extracts (-x) the contents of the TAR (Tape ARchive) file (-f)
>>mytar.tar
>
>... can you tell me where to find what these options mean as
>there is obviously a standard for them if -f means file and -x I presume is
>execute. I think a good deal of the problem is that I don't know what any of
>these mean or where they come from.
>
You don't understand. There is no standard. -f *usually* means file as
programmers as so bloody minded. There you are, coding away, and you need
to pick a letter for the parameter for the input file. What is the first
letter that pops into your head? Why F for File, of course. Blame it on
Sesame Street. It could just as well (and may indeed be) called -i for
input, or -d for data, or -m for Mary the programmers current girlfriend
(or Mother for the very introverted or very twisted). -x might mean
eXecute, or eXtract, or eXtra, or "gee, I've used all the other letters
already, guess I'll use the X too". The place to find what these mean is
in the documentation for the command. For something like imagemagik (gotta
get after them about spelling too) it should be in the documentation. If
you have a man system (UNIX, OS X) then
man <the command name here>
and read away! You can also usually ask the command itself:
<the command name here> -help
Chuck
--
Chuck Hill email@hidden
Global Village Consulting Inc. http://www.global-village.net
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