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.Last update: 20 April,2001
1003.2-92 #14
Class: Editorial defect
This will be forwarded to the IEEE for incorporation into a future
errata sheet for the document, as well as an IEEE interpretations
publication, and will be also made available on-line on the IEEE
SPAsystem.
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Interpretation Number: (to be assigned by the IEEE)
Topic: patch
Relevant Sections: 5.22.7.1
Interpretation Request: (Defect Report)
-----------------------
In Section 5.22.5.3 - Environment Variables {of patch}, the
standard states that the LC_TIME variable ``shall determine
the locale for recognizing the format of file time stamps
written by the diff utility in a context-diff input file.''
[Draft 12 of IEEE Std 1003.2-1992 (July 1992), p. 619, lines
3541-3543]
In Section 5.22.7.1 - Patchfile Format, the standard states
that ``patch shall recognize the following expressions:
*** filename timestamp The patches arose from
filename.
--- filename timestamp The patches should be
applied to filename.
[Ibid., p. 620, lines 3572-3575]
What happens when patch detects lines that look like ***
filename and --- filename, but the timestamp fields are
filled with gibberish (because, for example, they were
produced in a different locale)? Are the hunks that follow
these lines ignored, since patch's sanity check on these
filename identification lines failed?
IEEE Interpretation for 1003.2-1992
-----------------------------------
The implementation is not required to do any processing of the timestamp
field of the filename identification line(s). The implementation is
required to process a hunk as per the standard, regardless of the state
or contents of the timestamp field.
Rationale for Interpretation:
-----------------------------
None.
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