On Tue, Jun 10, 2025 at 03:34:02PM -0700, Collin Funk wrote: > There was a similar request a few weeks ago [1].
I did not like that, a lot of ugly stuff just to try to get backwards compatibility -- IMHO far better to have a --json-output option and accept that it will not work on old machines. > For example, scripts parsing the json (or similar format) from > Coreutils. But then being unusable on BSD, Solaris, etc. Are there any license incompatibilities that would prevent the JSON code being copied into BSD ? The other incompatibility's is not OS but time -- scripts using this would not work on old systems. The definition of 'old' would be confusing as JSON would be implemented in different utilities (ls, grep, ps, ...) at different times (years). In some ways the only safe way would be to not use it until JSON support is 'quite old'. So maybe I would start using it in scripts that I write after it has been in ls, grep, ps, ... for 10 years. But if we never start it will never happen - but by 2040 we will all use it (if I am still alive & writing scripts then!). However: many programs are never released outside the organisation that wrote them - so I could start using them once my machines have the ability to do so. > [1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/coreutils/2025-05/msg00013.html -- Alain Williams Linux/GNU Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT Lecturer. +44 (0) 787 668 0256 https://www.phcomp.co.uk/ Parliament Hill Computers. Registration Information: https://www.phcomp.co.uk/Contact.html #include <std_disclaimer.h>
