In <[🔎] 201102060600.08478.lisi.reisz@gmail.com>, Lisi wrote: >Since I first used Linux I have been used (apparently erroneously) to the >idea of: >command options argument I think using that terminology will generally get your point across. >Now suddenly the word "parameters" jumps out at me in this context. This term is often avoided when discussing the shell, unless you are talking about shell functions. The term includes what both options and arguments from above and can also mean the constructs used to access those values from within the function body. >Help! What are parameters? If you want semi-formal defintions... From SUSv2: Parameters and Variables A parameter can be denoted by a name, a number or one of the special characters listed in Special Parameters . A variable is a parameter denoted by a name. A parameter is set if it has an assigned value (null is a valid value). Once a variable is set, it can only be unset by using the unset special built-in command. My examples would be $1, $@, $USER, $LC_ALL, and $bar. Also from SUSv2: Utility Syntax Guidelines The following guidelines are established for the naming of utilities and for the specification of options, option-arguments and operands. The getopt() function in the XSH specification assists utilities in handling options and operands that conform to these guidelines. Operands and option-arguments can contain characters not specified in the portable character set. [...] Guideline 4: All options should be preceded by the "-" delimiter character. Guideline 5: Options without option-arguments should be accepted when grouped behind one "-" delimiter. Guideline 6: Each option and option-argument should be a separate argument, except as noted in Utility Argument Syntax , item (2). Guideline 7: Option-arguments should not be optional. [...] Guideline 9: All options should precede operands on the command line. Guideline 10: The argument -- should be accepted as a delimiter indicating the end of options. Any following arguments should be treated as operands, even if they begin with the "-" character. The -- argument should not be used as an option or as an operand. Applications calling any utility with a first operand starting with - should usually specify --, as indicated by Guideline 10, to mark the end of the options. This is true even if the SYNOPSIS in the XCU specification does not specify any options; implementations may provide options as extensions to the XCU specification. The standard utilities that do not support Guideline 10 indicate that fact in the OPTIONS section of the utility description. So, if you work within the analogy of C function ~=~ shell command, then you get C formal parameter ~=~ shell Positional Parameter, C actual parameter `=~ shell argument, C variable ~=~ Shell non-Positional Parameter. The shell terms "option", "option-argument", and "operand" don't directly correspond to C terms. "options" include things like "-E" or "-q" to grep and "-l" to wc. "option-arguments" include things like what follows "-f" to tar or "-e" to sed or grep. "operands" are generally path names (files or directories), but they might be something else; they don't "belong" to a particular "option" but rather direct the global behavior of the command. HTH -- Boyd Stephen Smith Jr. ,= ,-_-. =. bss@iguanasuicide.net ((_/)o o(\_)) ICQ: 514984 YM/AIM: DaTwinkDaddy `-'(. .)`-' http://iguanasuicide.net/ \_/
Attachment:
signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part.