Jasen Betts wrote: > This is a bug report against the man page documebntation for "test"
Thank you for your report. However I think you are mistaken.
> The man page for /usr/bin/test lists --help and --version as command-line
> options.
Not quite. The man page for test is combined with the man page for [.
Only [ lists any available option. The test synopsis does not list
any options for test.
SYNOPSIS
test EXPRESSION
test
[ EXPRESSION ]
[ ]
[ OPTION
The 'test' command does not list any options. The [ command lists the
potential for one option.
> As documented this conflics with the
>
> test "string"
Note that test must parse arguments based upon the number of arguments
given. The above has one argument and therefore the behavior is
required to be true if $1 is not null otherwise false.
> usage ( eg; if "string" was "--help" )
If "string" is "--help" then it is one argument and being non-null
test will exit 0 true.
> fortunately the man page appears to be in error and --help and
> --version are treated as strings to be tested and produce no display
> output.
The man page does not list any options available for test. The man
page only lists options for [.
> the info page does not list --help or --version.
The info page specifically mentions both --help and --version.
test EXPRESSION
...
If EXPRESSION is omitted, `test' returns false. If EXPRESSION is a
single argument, `test' returns false if the argument is null and true
otherwise. The argument can be any string, including strings like
`-d', `-1', `--', `--help', and `--version' that most other programs
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^
would treat as options. To get help and version information, invoke
the commands `[ --help' and `[ --version', without the usual closing
brackets. *Note Common options::.
With the above information I think you will agree that the bug can be
closed.
Bob
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