Re: [PATCH] Beautify usage messages

[Daniele Forsi]

2009/10/1  <address@hidden>:

> I did some research into standards / guidelines for usage messages and found 
> two documents:
>  - Metasyntax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasyntax)
>  - Posix "Utility Argument Syntax" 
> (http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/V1_chap12.html)
>
> The current syntax (not the discussed patch) is Posix compliant. The style 
> with angle brackets are more like GNU.

I see that POSIX doesn't mention { and }
the | alone should group the alternative just fine
"8. Arguments separated by the '|' ( <vertical-line>) bar notation are
mutually-exclusive."
What do you think?

          --netmonitor {reset|off|field|devel|next|nr}
          --getmms memory_type start [end] [{--mime|--pdu|--raw} file]
          --divert {--op|-o} {register|enable|query|disable|erasure}
                 {--type|-t} {all|busy|noans|outofreach|notavail}
                 {--call|-c} {all|voice|fax|data}
                 [{--timeout|-m} time_in_seconds]
                 [{--number|-n} number]
          --sendlogo {caller|op|picture} destination logofile
          --setlogo {dealer|text} [text]
          --getlogo {dealer|text}

Also the gnokii --help output is now 132 lines long, what about adding
an optional argument to show all or just a topic and changing gnokii
--help to just print version and
gnokii --help [all|general|monitoring|sms|...]

-- 
Daniele Forsi