Pacman

Historical bug tracker for the Pacman package manager.

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Tasklist

FS#40234 - [pacman] change wording of --list for -Q --help output

Attached to Project: Pacman
Opened by tim (sudokode) - Tuesday, 06 May 2014, 05:00 GMT
Last edited by Allan McRae (Allan) - Wednesday, 25 June 2014, 13:10 GMT
Task Type Feature Request
Category Documentation
Status Closed
Assigned To Allan McRae (Allan)
Architecture All
Severity Very Low
Priority Normal
Reported Version 4.1.2
Due in Version 4.2.0
Due Date Undecided
Percent Complete 100%
Votes 0
Private No

Details

Summary and Info:
The --help output of `pacman -Q` includes a rather ambiguous statement (imho). For '-l, --list', the help information is "list the contents of the queried package". In regards to a package manager, the "contents" of a package might be something like the metadata (such as information listed with -Qi) or even the metadata files associated with the package that are stored in the database tree.

Meanwhile, the manpage has a much clearer definition of the command:
"List all files owned by a given package. ..."

So while commands like --info, --check, and --owns have --help output that mentions 'file' or 'files', --list does not, despite it being closely related to files owned by a package.

I think it would be worthwhile to change the wording of the --help output for `pacman -Q` in regards to the --list option because a very common thing to do when searching for help (besides reading the manpage) is grep such output for the words users associate with such a command ('file' or 'files' would be useful here).

Steps to reproduce:
1. pacman -Qh | grep -i content
vs.
1. pacman -Qh | grep -i file
This task depends upon

Closed by  Allan McRae (Allan)
Wednesday, 25 June 2014, 13:10 GMT
Reason for closing:  Fixed
Additional comments about closing:  git commit 4d65332c
Comment by tim (sudokode) - Sunday, 11 May 2014, 10:50 GMT
Since this was actually accepted, I'd like to add 'pacman -S --print' as well. This one is ambiguous in both the --help output and the manpage. Where the 'pacman -R --print' command prints "targets" (package name + version), this command prints a download URL. Grep'ing for "down(load)" or "URL" would be useful here.

While the -Ql one is obvious in the manpage, this one is rather confusing in both places.

These are actually two things asked about in #archlinux. I feel kinda silly when I point them at pacman -h and they come back with "um.. not seeing anything like that" with good reason.
Comment by Allan McRae (Allan) - Sunday, 11 May 2014, 23:48 GMT
"Since this was actually accepted" <- where? :)

Both are patches welcome!
Comment by tim (sudokode) - Monday, 12 May 2014, 18:19 GMT
Oh.. er.. better get on that then. Brb.
Comment by Allan McRae (Allan) - Sunday, 25 May 2014, 04:49 GMT
Patch sent to the mailing list for -Ql.

Leaving open to track --print suggestions. Please send suggested changes...

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