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Re: Setup patch: List command line options on stdout


Brian Dessent wrote:
Dave wrote:

Leaving:
* Print help to messagebox. Could also send it to stdout in case the user
happens to be running from bash. [patches in this thread]
* Make setup a console program which hides the console as soon as it
determines it doesn't need it. Probably leading to Ye olde flashing console
behaviour when started from the GUI. [Reini investigating]

Well, you could compile two separate .exe files, plus a third .exe stub that contains the binary images of the two real .exes as resources, and then extracts them to $TMP and runs whichever one it deems appropriate. But that's pretty ugly.

Honestly I don't see why we're bending over backwards to list the
command line options to a console.  99.999% of windows apps can not do
this and I don't see why it is so necessary.  Just have a pop-up window
list the command line args.  Someone said "wouldn't it be surprising if
you ran setup.exe from a bash prompt and got a popup?" to which I say,
No not at all.  Setup.exe is a regular windows application.  It would be
no more surprising than if you ran "notepad.exe -h" or whatever.  Let's
not spend tons of developer time trying to make console output when
there are real features that need fixing in setup.

I agree entirely.


As soon as I've dealt with the bugs that I'm currently working on, i.e.:

* Filehandle leak
* "URL Scheme not registered"
* "Can't open (null) for reading"

I will gladly apply a patch which displays the options in a GUI popup - be it a lowly MessageBox or something more advanced that allows selection and copying.

I am currently quite strongly opposed to turning setup.exe into a console app just to display help text. Please bear in mind that any command line options that setup has are purely for advanced automation uses - they are not something the average user need ever go near. Therefore, let's not expend to much effort on this.

Max.


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