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Problem Report 0745 Details

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Report 0745 Actions

    Problem Report Number 0745
    Submitter's Classification Specification problem
    State Resolved
    Resolution Temporary Interpretation (TIN)
    Problem Resolution ID TIN.X.0036
    Raised 1970-01-01 08:00
    Updated 2003-03-13 08:00
    Published 1995-10-23 08:00
    Product Standard Commands and Utilities V2 (UNIX 95)
    Certification Program The Open Brand certification program
    Test Suite VSC version 4.1.4
    Test Identification POSIX.upe/ex 531,532
    Specification Commands and Utilities Issue 4 Version 2
    Location in Spec See Problem Text
    Problem Summary TIN4C.00025 The tests may fail on implementations that conform to POSIX 1003.2b and write warnings to standard output instead of standard error.
    Problem Text
    The tests may fail on implementations that adhere to historic practice
    and write the warning to standard output instead of standard error.
    The POSIX.2b draft removes the requirement that the warning be written
    to standard error.

    The tests in question verify the following two assertions:

    531:
    The default value for the warn option is on.

    532:
    When the warn option is set, a ! command is issued and the contents
    of the current buffer have been modified, then ex writes a warning to
    standard error before executing the ! command.

    These assertions are based on the following language in XCU4 Issue 2, p. 318:

    warn

    [Default on]

    If warn is set, ex will write a warning message to standard error
    if the contents of the buffer have not been saved before a ! command
    escape.

    This language is taken directly from POSIX.2. However, it does not
    describe the historical behavior of ex. It is true that the default
    for warn is on (both historically and on our implementation), but
    the warning message has always been (and still is, on our implementation)
    written to standard output.

    The test suite itself contains a comment written to the journal to the
    effect that this specification is expected to change. (See the journal
    output shown above for the assertion.) In the most recent draft
    (Draft 11) of POSIX.2b, the description of the warn option has been changed
    to remove the requirement that the message go to standard error. From
    POSIX.2b D11, p. 174:

    5.10.7.8.28 warn

    [Default: set]

    If warn is set, and the contents of the edit buffer have been
    modified since they were last completely written, the editor shall
    write a warning message before certain ! commands (see 5.10.7.5.42).

    In view of this, assertion 532 is clearly a grey area. The requirement
    of assertion 531 (which says nothing about where the message is
    directed) is clear and justified, but the test for the default
    behavior, which looks only in standard error for the warning message,
    relies on a grey area.
    Test Output
    -----------------start of test output------------------

    ************************************************************************
    /tset/POSIX.upe/ex/ex_08.ex 1 Failed


    Test Information:
    Assertion #531 (C): default for the warn option is on
    Note: The behavior associated with this assertion is expected
    to change in a future revision of POSIX.2.
    Standard error is empty
    ************************************************************************


    ************************************************************************
    /tset/POSIX.upe/ex/ex_08.ex 1 Failed


    Test Information:
    Assertion #532 (D): warning message when ! command issued; buffer
    modified
    Note: The behavior associated with this assertion is expected
    to change in a future revision of POSIX.2.
    Standard error is empty
    ************************************************************************

    ------------------end of test output-------------------

    Note: this output was from the vrpt report.

    Review Information

    Review Type TSMA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Recommendation No Resolution Given
    Review Response
    Anticipating acceptance of the completely rewritten ex specification
    in POSIX 2003.2b/D11 and the eventual alignment of the tests with it
    a temporary interpretation is recommended.

    Review Type SA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Resolution Temporary Interpretation (TIN)
    Review Conclusion
    A Temporary Interpretation is granted.

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