One problem I see with man pages is that they throw off the newbie user
by putting every possible option at the top. If a new user sees this,
they will probably be as confused as ever:
tar [ - ] A --catenate --concatenate | c --create | d
--diff --compare | r --append | t --list | u --update | x
-extract --get [ --atime-preserve ] [ -b, --block-size N ]
[ -B, --read-full-blocks ] [ -C, --directory DIR ] [
--checkpoint ] [ -f, --file [HOSTNAME:]F ] [ --force-
local ] [ -F, --info-script F --new-volume-script F ] [
-G, --incremental ] [ -g, --listed-incremental F ] [ -h,
--dereference ] [ -i, --ignore-zeros ] [ -I, --bzip2 ] [
--ignore-failed-read ] [ -k, --keep-old-files ] [ -K,
--starting-file F ] [ -l, --one-file-system ] [ -L,
--tape-length N ] [ -m, --modification-time ] [ -M,
--multi-volume ] [ -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE ] [
-o, --old-archive, --portability ] [ -O, --to-stdout ] [
-p, --same-permissions, --preserve-permissions ] [ -P,
--absolute-names ] [ --preserve ] [ -R, --record-num-
ber ] [ --remove-files ] [ -s, --same-order, --preserve-
order ] [ --same-owner ] [ --numeric-owner ] [ -S,
--sparse ] [ -T, --files-from F ] [ --null ] [
--totals ] [ -v, --verbose ] [ -V, --label NAME ] [
--version ] [ -w, --interactive, --confirmation ] [ -W,
--verify ] [ --exclude FILE ] [ -X, --exclude-from FILE
] [ -Z, --compress, --uncompress ] [ -z, --gzip,
--ungzip ] [ --use-compress-program PROG ] [ --block-
compress ] [ -[0-7][lmh] ]
I was actually on a newsgroup where someone had never user tar before.
They read the man page, and after trying and trying to understand all
the options they just got frustrated and posted to the newsgroup asking
how to make a simple tar file or expand a simple tar file. Perhaps the
most common uses could be displayed at the top and leave the more
advanced uses for later on.
One advantage of man pages is being able to pipe them into other
commands such as grep, whereas interactive help doesn't allow for pipes.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ray Bowles [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 5:23 PM
To: Bruce Dawson
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Interesting Newbie article at CentraLUG.org
*** On Tue, 12 Feb 2002 at 3:30pm Bruce Dawson shared this with the
class::
> What appears to be a rather frustrated newbie posted the following
> article at the CentraLUG web site:
>
> http://www.centralug.org/article.php?sid=37
Anyone have ideas on how to help. I think he has a decent idea. Heck, if
it came down to it and someone wrote the logic I would type the content.
Ray
------------------------------
Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path
and leave a trail.
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