Re: Error in vi (or in man page)

[Rin Okuyama <rokuyama%rk.phys.keio.ac.jp@localhost>]

Hi,

On 2018/09/14 8:49, Paul Goyette wrote:
> Current vi(1) man page says
>
>      -r     Recover the specified files, or, if no files are specified,
>             list the files that could be recovered.  If no recoverable
>             files by the specified name exist, the file is edited as if
>             the -r option had not been specified.
>
> However, in actuality, if no recoverable files by the specified name
> exist, vi simply reports that fact, and does nothing;  it does not
> edit the file "as if the -r option had not been specified."
>
>      #  ls kern_time_50.c
>      kern_time_50.c
>      # vi -r kern_time_50.c
>      No files named kern_time_50.c, readable by you, to recover
>      #

POSIX says
http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/ex.html

> If the -r option was specified, ... If no recovery information
> about a file is available, an informational message to this effect
> shall be written, and the edit shall proceed as usual.

This seems consistent with our manpage.

On the other hand, /usr/ucb/vi from Solaris 11 (based on Bill Joy's vi)
behaves strangely; if no recovery information is present, it allocate
an empty buffer even if there's a file of the specified name!

It would be better to fix our vi in accordance with POSIX. Thoughts?

Thanks,
rin