Re: ls --help: further tweak

[Jim Meyering]

Benno Schulenberg wrote:

> (Sorry for breaking thread.  I am using the archives and webmail.)
>
> Jim Meyering quoted Pádraig Brady's change:
>>  Using color to distinguish types of files is not enabled by default, or 
>> when\n\
>>  --color=never is specified.  [...]
>
> Hmm, the above is not quite grammatical.  Paraphrased:
> "Something is not true by default, or when option --foo is given."
>
> What might be okay:
> "Using color to distinguish types of files is disabled by default and also\n\
> when --color=never is specified."
>
> But I would prefer to be perfectly clear:
> "Using color to distinguish types of files is disabled by default. It is\n\
> also disabled when --color=never is specified."

How about this?

>From 4f8b0ca317382a51317060f01350d523e88bb360 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jim Meyering <address@hidden>
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:53:35 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] doc: ls: further improve --help message re --color

* src/ls.c (usage): Correct grammar, change voice, shorten.
Inspired by a report from Bruno Schulenberg.
---
 src/ls.c |    6 +++---
 1 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/ls.c b/src/ls.c
index 859d7c4..54a4486 100644
--- a/src/ls.c
+++ b/src/ls.c
@@ -4671,9 +4671,9 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for 
short options too.\n\
       emit_size_note ();
       fputs (_("\
 \n\
-Using color to distinguish types of files is not enabled by default, or when\n\
---color=never is specified.  With --color=auto, color codes are output only\n\
-when standard output is connected to a terminal.  The LS_COLORS environment\n\
+Using color to distinguish file types is disabled by default, and with\n\
+--color=never.  With --color=auto, ls emits color codes only when\n\
+standard output is connected to a terminal.  The LS_COLORS environment\n\
 variable can change the settings.  Use the dircolors command to set it.\n\
 "), stdout);
       fputs (_("\
--
1.6.5.rc1.220.g6de7f