Re: [patch] improved version information

[Akim Demaille]

>>>>> "Lars" == Lars J Aas <address@hidden> writes:

Lars> Give me real examples of configure scripts being installed for a
Lars> good reason, or programs actually parsing the output of
Lars> <package>/configure --version in a correct manner according to
Lars> the rules written in the GNU Standards.

Who knows???  Give me real reasons not to follow the standards!

You have it wrong.  There is a standard, and _you_ have to come with a
very good reason to departure from it.  _I_ have nothing to defend
here.



Several people have asked for a GUI for configure.  Maybe someone will
build something à la help2man and card to build a GUI on the fly for
_any_ GNU standard conform program, based on --help and --version.
Why should configure be the bad guy?

Take zsh.  Today it can run --help on programs to offer completion on
the options.  If some very creative maintainer departures from these
conventions zsh won't be able to offer completion on the options.

I'm sure the maintainer had good reasons, though...  Probably because
it now fits 24 x 80.


Maybe someone will find something interesting to do with --version
just as for --help.  We should not compromise the possibility of
having tools relying on this.