ctags -L: not possible to specifiy files with leading dashes (handled as option)

[blueyed]

The man page for -L file says:

Options are also accepted in this input.

This is a problem with real files with uncommon names like -X:

% printf '%s\n'  '-X' | ctags -L -
ctags: Unknown option: -X

I've tried passing in -- in front to ignore filenames like -X, but this results in:

% printf '%s\n' '--' '-X' | ctags -L -
ctags: Unknown option: --

I think -L - should either not accept/handle options (backward incompatible?), or skip option parsing after --.

My use case is using rg --files | ctags --links=no -L - to generate tags.

[masatake]

How about using ./ as prefix like:

[yamato@master]~/var/ctags-github% cat ./-X                                 
#!/bin/sh
function foo
{
	:
}
[yamato@master]~/var/ctags-github% printf "./%s\n" -X | ./ctags -G -o - -L -
foo	./-X	/^function foo$/;"	f

?

[blueyed]

My input is coming from rg --files, so not easy to change.

Even doing something like (echo --; rg --files) | ctags --links=no -L - to work around this (if -- would be supported) is not really convenient.

I found it rather confusing that -L - takes options in the first place.

[masatake]

Following change implements "--" separator.

diff --git a/main/options.c b/main/options.c
index 4a9d9cc6..f3e14a0b 100644
--- a/main/options.c
+++ b/main/options.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ typedef const struct sBooleanOption {
 *   DATA DEFINITIONS
 */
 
+/* Set true to this to stop option proessing.*/
 static bool NonOptionEncountered = false;
 static stringList *OptionFiles;
 
@@ -871,7 +872,9 @@ static void cArgRead (cookedArgs *const current)
                item = argItem (current->args);
                current->shortOptions = NULL;
                Assert (item != NULL);
-               if (strncmp (item, "--", (size_t) 2) == 0)
+
+               if ((!NonOptionEncountered)
+                       && (strncmp (item, "--", (size_t) 2) == 0))
                {
                        current->isOption = true;
                        current->longOption = true;
@@ -879,7 +882,8 @@ static void cArgRead (cookedArgs *const current)
                        Assert (current->item != NULL);
                        Assert (current->parameter != NULL);
                }
-               else if (*item == '-')
+               else if ((!NonOptionEncountered)
+                                && (*item == '-'))
                {
                        current->isOption = true;
                        current->longOption = false;
@@ -3301,7 +3305,13 @@ static void parseOption (cookedArgs* const args)
        if (args->isOption)
        {
                if (args->longOption)
-                       processLongOption (args->item, args->parameter);
+               {
+                       if (*args->item == '\0')
+                               /* "--" is passed. */
+                               NonOptionEncountered = true;
+                       else
+                               processLongOption (args->item, args->parameter);
+               }
                else
                {
                        const char *parameter = args->parameter;

If this works fine, could you consider to update man/ctags.1.rst.in?

[blueyed]

Hmm, the patch does not apply for me.. both with patch and git apply -.
Please consider creating a PR already - I can update the man page there then.

[masatake]

I see.