Re: getopts behaviour on `-'

[Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com>]

Peter Stephenson wrote:
> It seems a little strange that getopts doesn't treat a `-' argument the
> same way as `--', which is what builtins do.  The manual page only
> mentions `--', but then it doesn't actually say what happens with `-'
> which slips through the gaps in the description.  What happens is that
> the `-' is treated as a regular argument, it's not skipped as `--' is.
> I think they should probably be treated the same, what does anyone else
> think?

I just compared with sh and bash, and they behave the way zsh currently
does, so it's probably safer to leave it.  However, it could be
documented explicitly.

Index: Doc/Zsh/builtins.yo
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/zsh/zsh/Doc/Zsh/builtins.yo,v
retrieving revision 1.47
diff -u -r1.47 builtins.yo
--- Doc/Zsh/builtins.yo	5 Aug 2002 12:33:27 -0000	1.47
+++ Doc/Zsh/builtins.yo	6 Aug 2002 12:04:37 -0000
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@
 use the positional parameters.  A valid option argument
 begins with a `tt(PLUS())' or a `tt(-)'.  An argument not beginning with
 a `tt(PLUS())' or a `tt(-)', or the argument `tt(--)', ends the options.
+Note that a single `tt(-)' is not considered a valid option argument.
 var(optstring) contains the letters that tt(getopts)
 recognizes.  If a letter is followed by a `tt(:)', that option
 is expected to have an argument.  The options can be

-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@csr.com>                  Software Engineer
CSR Ltd., Science Park, Milton Road,
Cambridge, CB4 0WH, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 692070


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