Re: expr say "non integer argument"

[Eric Blake]

According to Chris F.A. Johnson on 2/18/2010 6:20 AM:
> On Thu, 18 Feb 2010, address@hidden wrote:
> 
>> $ expr 3.1 + 3
>> expr: non-numeric argument <---say "non integer argument"
>> $ expr 3.1 + 3b
>> expr: non-numeric argument
> 
>    The expr command's arithmetic only works with integers.

But that's not his point.  The point is that 3.1 is numeric, so the error
could be fine-tuned to state that expr expects integers to make it clear
that numeric but non-integer is the reason for the failure.  And I'm
inclined to agree.  I see nothing in POSIX that requires the current error
string, or forbids a more specific error string.

jidanni, it would be a two-line patch to expr.c.  Would you care to write
such a patch, rather than just complaining?

-- 
Don't work too hard, make some time for fun as well!

Eric Blake             address@hidden

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