Subject: Creeping featurism and documentation
To: None <current-users@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Todd Vierling <email@example.com>
Date: 08/14/1997 20:07:29
Okay, here's a sideways suggestion on the topic of creeping featurism, and
it incorporates a highly used element of Sun's manual pages.
If we are worried about creeping featurism in bits of code that are partly
useful but incompatible with POSIX et. al., why don't we document the
precise differences between POSIX mandated features and those which are
available? Say, a different manual page section for POSIX-compliant program
options, and one for NetBSD-specific ones?
In particular, I'd think the following "groupings" of program options and/or
feature descriptions would be _extremely_ helpful now and in the future in
the NetBSD documentation.
"POSIX COMPLIANT OPTIONS"
"4.3/4.4 BSD DERIVED OPTIONS"
"NETBSD PROPRIETARY OPTIONS"
Finagle the names a bit if desired, but it is my opinion that dividing
documentation in this way would both allow the expansion of useful features
and assist in multi-platform development simultaneously. I can attest to
the high value of divisions like these in Solaris's manual (even though I
really _don't_ like Solaris), and that I have ssh'd over to a sun box just
to see the options listed with compatibility descriptions.
== Todd Vierling (Personal firstname.lastname@example.org; Alternate email@example.com)
== I know you like the Internet, Bobby. Now go eat your Frosted Flakes.