[Bug libc/4116] New: getopt_long does *not* return (or indicate in any way) error condition (if occured) to programmer.

["edvotsyivj at datatech dot ru" <sourceware-bugzilla at sourceware dot org>]

There are a lot of situations, where errors in options (and its arguments) can
not be reported to user by "getopt" internal routine:
  fprintf (stderr, _("%s: option `%s' ...

That's why variable "opterr" and optstring prefix ":" do exist: for disabling
"getopt" internal error reporting. The most apparent examples of such situations
are:
-- we need to localize error messages for application which does not use
gettext, because it's mono-language (but not English).
-- in GUI application stderr is not visible to user (or even closed), and we
need to display errors in dialog window.

The plain short-option "getopt" provides programmer with sufficient information
to catch and handle errors: ":"/"?" as return code and "optopt" as subject of error.

But "getopt_long" provides NONE information to programmer. There are at least 4
(four) indistinguishable error conditions:

1) option is ambiguous
2) unrecognized/invalid option
3) option doesn't allow an argument
4) option requires an argument

In either of above "getopt_long" just return "?", leaving the programmer to
guess what's happened. Moreover, in cases (1) and (2) programmer doesn't even
know, which option has triggered the error.

So, "getopt_long" must be fixed to indicate 
A) different error conditions
B) the option (text) caused the error

-- 
           Summary: getopt_long does *not* return (or indicate in any way)
                    error condition (if occured) to programmer.
           Product: glibc
           Version: 2.4
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: libc
        AssignedTo: drepper at redhat dot com
        ReportedBy: edvotsyivj at datatech dot ru
                CC: glibc-bugs at sources dot redhat dot com


http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=4116

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