On 23 Apr 2006, Loïc Minier verbalised: > On Sun, Apr 23, 2006, Manoj Srivastava wrote: >> Since allowing pipelines seems to be the motivating factor >> here, we do need to solve that, I think. > > Yes, indeed, the root of the problem is the change of support for > pipelines. However, I'm not sure that pipelines worked in the use > case of passing a file as a parameter to $PAGER in the past. > > Currently, each program (for example man) has its way of calling > $PAGER, perhaps as "$PAGER <file name>" or piping to "sh -c > "$PAGER"", or perhaps piping directly to "$PAGER". > > Of course, if we say $PAGER can be a pipeline, and a pager can be > used both as "$PAGER <file name>" and as the end of a pipeline, then > defining $PAGER to be a pipeline must work in both cases, but I'm > not sure it is a regression to not support pipelines in the use case > of a file name as argument. > > In other words: > > $PAGER is a $PAGER is a > program pipeline > ==================================================================== > call $PAGER as works ??? > $PAGER <file name> > ==================================================================== > call $PAGER as > cat <data> | $PAGER works works > > I do agree that the two use cases that you listed in a previous > message exist, I'm not sure they were both supported in the case > where $PAGER is a pipeline, but we can work on fixing that at least > in sensible-pager by using systematically: cat "$@" | $PAGER
Historically, if my memory serves me correctly, one used PAGER to specify the program, and the default arguments. PAGER essentially worked as an shell alias: PAGER= less -cim And then you could either pipe thigs to ti, or call it on a file. I am not sure if I recall a-pipeline-as-pager ever working, even way back in the mid 80's. manoj -- It is sweet to let the mind unbend on occasion. Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) Manoj Srivastava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/> 1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]