uutils / uutils/diffutils

Consider using an external argument parser

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Dominant language
Rust
Stars
276
Forks
39
Avg merge
3h 27m
Merged PRs (30d)
3

Description

Argument parsing in the diff command (and in the WIP cmp command) is implemented manually. The rationale for not using a general-purpose parser like clap is that it does not offer the flexibility we need to replicate the GNU diffutils arguments. We'd lose in compatibility what we would gain in code simplicity.

While researching how it's done in uutils/coreutils, I came across uutils/coreutils#4254, which looks especially relevant. Perhaps we should consider giving uutils-args a test run to understand if it fits the needs of the diffutils applications, and provide constructive feedback and contributions in case it doesn't.

There are currently only two CLI applications (out of a total of 4) to migrate, so the advantage over uutils/coreutils is that the effort would be rather limited.

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Research direction

Start by reviewing the manual argument parsing in the diff command and the WIP cmp command, then read uutils/coreutils#4254 and the uutils-args documentation. Evaluate whether uutils-args can reproduce the GNU diffutils arguments; completion would require a clear compatibility assessment and any resulting feedback or contributions.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
cli
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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