Re: procfs problems

Steffen Grunewald (steffen@gfz-potsdam.de)
Fri, 18 Apr 1997 08:29:45 +0200 (MET DST)

"H. Peter Anvin writes"
|> > What if you want multiple "fields" per line, and the "fields" contain
|> > spaces. What then?
|>
|> Then you're better off using a printable separator, or using fixed
|> columns and *no* tabs (so you can use fixed offsets.)

Oh NO ! This would be a large step backwards, towards the era of Fortran IV.
Why not quote special characters ? That would be the only way to distinguish
between 'field separators in line' and 'word separators in field'. But then,
as those lines don't seem to exist yet, why introduce them ? Wouldn't it be
better to use multiple lines, each with the same label ?
Software that doesn't expect multiple entries will get the first one - no
problem. Software that knows of multiple entries will be able to parse them
all.

-- 
Steffen Grunewald |  email steffen@gfz-potsdam.de |  fax (+49)-331-8877 520
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A17, D-14473 Potsdam,  Germany 
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