[bug #25197] grep -R defaults to stdin, not the current directory

[anonymous]

URL:
  <http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?25197>

                 Summary: grep -R defaults to stdin, not the current
directory
                 Project: grep
            Submitted by: None
            Submitted on: Sun 28 Dec 2008 09:21:49 PM UTC
                Category: None
                Severity: 3 - Normal
              Item Group: None
                  Status: None
                 Privacy: Public
             Assigned to: None
             Open/Closed: Open
         Discussion Lock: Any

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Details:

When I type "grep -R pattern", I never want to search stdin, because it's
meaningless to search stdin recursively. I usually meant to do "grep -R
pattern .". grep -R should default to searching the current directory, or at
least give an error message and quit, instead of hanging waiting for input.

The problem with hanging waiting for input is that you might think that it's
taking a few seconds or even a few minutes to search a large directory and not
realize your error until a good while later.

I hear that GNU grep as patched by Apple in Mac OS X gives a warning in this
circumstance, which would be sufficient.

-- 
Geoffrey Thomas
address@hidden




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