[Python-Dev] RE: [Python-checkins] python/dist/src/Tools/scripts md5sum.py, 1.3, 1.3.8.1

[Tim Peters]

>     ! -b   : read files in binary mode (default)
>     ! -t   : read files in text mode (you almost certainly don't want
> this!)
>
> When is -t useful?

I don't know that it ever is.  md5sum.py before 2.3 didn't have such an
option, and always used binary mode.  md5sum.py in 2.3 suddenly grew this
option, and *defaulted* to text mode, which is a disaster for normal usage
on Windows.  On the CVS head I switched the default back to binary mode, but
left -t in since we had released a version supporting a -t option (and as
the default, no less).

I can invent a use case for -t (a text file checksum independent of platform
line-end convention), but it's strained (it's never been a real use case in
my protracted life <wink>).