[IPython-dev] Unifying command-line conventions for 0.11+: single-dash OK?

[Fernando Perez]

On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 4:06 PM, Steve Steiner (listsin)
<listsin at integrateddevcorp.com> wrote:
> I have an objection in that this would be the only program that I would have that *didn't* follow the --multiple-words-get-double-dash convention.
>
> I use argparse too and find myself disambiguating the short commands (e.g. -l for link vs. -ls for list) but always stick to the --double-dashes for the long version.
>
> I think it would be very confusing, and "unique" in a very bad way, to drop that convention for the sake of saving a single dash's worth of typing.
>

Fair enough (I just saw R. Kern's comment in the same direction).  I
did some more checking of other programs, and indeed -dash is rather
rare.  Points taken.

Good thing I asked for feedback before touching any code :)  Nothing to revert.

We'll leave support for

-pylab, -*thread

simply because those are very widely used already, and even listed in
books in print (like the recent MPL book:
http://www.packtpub.com/matplotlib-python-development/book). But
--pylab and --*thread are also there, and all new options will be --
then.

Thanks for the feedback!

Cheers,

f