Re: Unknown command line options and --help

[Mike Newman <mike greatnorthern demon co uk>]

On Mon, 2003-04-21 at 21:59, Mariano Suarez-Alvarez wrote:

> The problem with that attitude towards the point is that even when the user
> would be able to fix the errors, he can't because no one deemed it useful to
> inform him what the error was to begin with. And even if the user can't fix
> the error, he can ask some one who can, and this more enlightened person
> will not be in a much better position do solve anything.
> 
> Anyone who has had to deal with a Windows box not booting knows how not
> being informed what the problem is feels like!

99% of the time I'd completely agree with you. But we're talking about
command line options which the program doesn't understand, doesn't
handle and should never have been passed, right?

Two choices - gracefully err on the side of caution, do what we can with
what we have and launch the program, or fail with an impenetrable error.
If you can honestly think of a good informative message to present to
the user, with a means of fixing the problem at the touch of a button,
I'm prepared to be convinced.

Mike