Re: sed suggestion: standarize exit code values

[Jim Meyering]

On Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 7:11 PM, Assaf Gordon <address@hidden> wrote:
> I'd like to suggest the following minor adjustment: use well defined exit 
> code, document them, and use constants in the code instead of hard-coded 
> values.

Hi Assaf,
Thank you.  I like the idea of switching from literals to symbolic names.
However, the name "EXIT_BAD_COUNT" is not evocative of "failed to open
one or more input file".
Maybe something like "EXIT_BAD_INPUT" or the longer "EXIT_INPUT_OPEN_FAIL"?

>From your commit log and patch:
-----------
    sed: standarize exit code values

    Use exit-code constants, and document them.
    Keep previous undocumented behaviour of code 4=panic, 2=bad input files.
    Change syntax-errors/program-errors to value 3 (previously: 1).
    Add "Exit Status" section in manual.

+  sed now uses the following exit codes:
+    0 = success
+    2 = one or more input files could not be opened
+    3 = syntax error in sed program
+    4 = panic (I/O error or internal error)
----------

Why do you want to make that semantic change? exit 1 -> exit 3?
I would be inclined to make the semantic change in a separate diff.