bash-hackers-wiki/docs/dict/end_of_options.md

# End of Options

The options of UNIX(r) utilities usually are introduced with a dash
(`-`) character.

This is problematic when a non-option argument has to be specified that
begins with a dash. A common example for this are filenames.

Many utilities use the convention to specify two consecutive dashes
(`--`) to signal \"end of options at this point\". Beyond this tag, no
options are processed anymore, even if an argument begins with a dash.

Example: You want to list (`ls`) the file with the name `-hello`. With
common option processing, this could end up in the ls-options `-h`,
`-e`, `-l` and `-o` and probably in an error message about invalid
options. You use this to avoid the wrong option processing:

    ls -- -hello

POSIX(r) specifies that every utility should follow this rule (see ch.
[12.2 Utility Syntax
Guidelines](https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799.2013edition/basedefs/V1_chap12.html)),
except

-   `echo` (historical reasons)
-   `test` (obvious parsing reasons)

## See also

-   Scripting article, internal:
    [getopts_tutorial](../howto/getopts_tutorial.md)
Convert files under dict to Markdown 2023-07-05 11:06:16 +02:00			`# End of Options`

			`The options of UNIX(r) utilities usually are introduced with a dash`
			(`-`) character.

			`This is problematic when a non-option argument has to be specified that`
			`begins with a dash. A common example for this are filenames.`

			`Many utilities use the convention to specify two consecutive dashes`
			(`--`) to signal \"end of options at this point\". Beyond this tag, no
			`options are processed anymore, even if an argument begins with a dash.`

			Example: You want to list (`ls`) the file with the name `-hello`. With
			common option processing, this could end up in the ls-options `-h`,
			`-e`, `-l` and `-o` and probably in an error message about invalid
			`options. You use this to avoid the wrong option processing:`

			`ls -- -hello`

			`POSIX(r) specifies that every utility should follow this rule (see ch.`
			`[12.2 Utility Syntax`
			`Guidelines](https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799.2013edition/basedefs/V1_chap12.html)),`
			`except`

			- `echo` (historical reasons)
			- `test` (obvious parsing reasons)

			`## See also`

			`- Scripting article, internal:`
Fix hyperlinks of markdown pages at depth 2 find docs/ -depth 2 -name '.md' \| xargs grep '(./' -l \| \ xargs -I{} \ sed -i '' \ -e 's%(/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)\(.md\)\{0\})%(../\1/\2.md)%g' \ -e 's%(/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)#\([0-9a-zA-Z_-][0-9a-zA-Z_-]\))%(../\1/\2.md#\3)%g' \ -e 's%(/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)\(.md\)\{0\})%(../\1/\2/\3.md)%g' \ -e 's%(/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)/\([^/#).][^/#).]\)#\([0-9a-zA-Z_-][0-9a-zA-Z_-]\))%(../\1/\2/\3.md#\4)%g' \ -e 's%](\([^:.>)#][^:.>)#]\))%](../\1.md)%g' \ -e 's%](\([^:.>)#][^:.>)#]\)#\([^:.>)#][^:.>)#]*\))%](../\1.md#\2)%g' \ {} Related to https://github.com/flokoe/bash-hackers-wiki/issues/10 2024-01-29 02:01:50 +01:00			`[getopts_tutorial](../howto/getopts_tutorial.md)`