[ksh93-integration-discuss] printf syntax and /sbin/sh compatibility

[David Korn]

cc:  ksh93-integration-discuss at opensolaris.org
Subject: Re: Re: [ksh93-integration-discuss] printf syntax and /sbin/sh compatibility
--------


> Since ksh93's "printf" does not accept any options, why does it parse
> the options anyway?
> 
> 

Actually, printf does accept options.  It accepts all of the
man page and help options, for example,
	printf '-?'
	printf  --man
	printf  --html
	...

printf also has to ingore -- so that an old script that does
	printf --
will no longer generate output.

printf could treat the first argument beginning with --- as an operand
and this would have fixed this case, but there is no general solution.

The standard is over 15 years old and at some point non-conforming
scripts might have to be changed.

David Korn
dgk at research.att.com