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Inconsistent --help and --version

While implementing zsh tab completion I discovered a few irregularities in --help and --version:

Issues with regards to --help and --version:

  • checkupdates: Does not support -V or --version
  • paccache: Does not document -V/--version
  • pacdiff: Does not document -h/--help nor -V/--version
  • paclist: Does not document -h/--help nor -V/--version
  • paclog-pkglist: Does not document -h/--help nor -V/--version
  • pacsearch: Does not document -h/--help nor -V/--version

Note! I have not verified if the man pages document this properly or not, the above only refers to if it is mentioned in --help or not.

A couple of the tools are inconsistent with regards to a short flag for --version as well. Some tools use -V other tools use -v. Some don't accept a short form at all.

One thing that is confusing with regards to checkupdate specifically is that AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = std-options is set in src/Makefile.am. This is supposed to ensure that --help/--version are supported. Unfortunately this is only checked if you run make installcheck. I can only assume no one has done so, as this does indeed error out on the lack of --version support.

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