Re: [PATCH] groff-1.20.1: [troff] suggest to use option -V for --version

[Werner LEMBERG]

> It would help if programs could in some extent unify the UI, so that
> options would be closely the same.  It is common to consider option
> -v as synonym for --verbose.  An observation, that is based on
> everyday usage of GNU programs (cp -v, mv -v ...).
>
> From user perspective, unifying the command line options would be a
> good thing, thus I propose changing -v option to uppercase -V.  The
> -v and --verbose could be reserved for later user [1].

Basically, I don't object.  However, the `groff' binary uses `-V' to
display the program's pipeline used to call its subprograms -- it does
this since version 0.6, which has been released about 20 years ago...

Now the question is whether the groff package's programs should be
consistent to each other, or whether all subprograms but the `groff'
binary itself should use `-v'.  I prefer the former -- you might do a
poll on the groff mailing list, if you wish to.

IMHO, the only reliable option is `--version'.


    Werner