> User can even save more than one
> document without closing the editor - this invalidates your
> expectations regarding ruturn error code as well.

True, if and only if the program:

        1) Ignores the unfound filename.
        2) Starts the GUI.
        3) Stays open.

If a file 'foo' exists, 'abiword foo' always tries to open it.
Even device files: 'abiword /dev/null' runs, opens, and prints "null"
in the title bar; 'abiword /dev/zero' hangs 'abiword'.

The question is: if invoked via CLI with a single filename that
doesn't exist, what should a word processor, or any GUI with an
editable data format, do?  (No other instances running.)  A quick
survey:

        1) 'gnumeric', 'gimp', 'gnucash', 'rezound', 'audacity', all pop up a 
            "file not found" message, then the default GUI.

        2) 'lowriter' and the rest of the 'libreoffice' suite pop 
            up a box that says the file isn't found,
            then quit with exit code 0.  
            
        3) 'kword' and 'pw' ("pathetic writer") create a file with the
           of name of unfound filename.

        4) 'gaupol' does as 'abiword' currently does.

Seems there's no general consensus or standard.  I haven't found a GUI
editor that does what 'ls' does:

        5) 'ls' prints a "file not found" message to STDERR, 
           and quits with an exit code of 2.

>    F="/tmp/abi.abw" touch "$F" && abiword "$F"

That won't function without a semicolon:

        F="/tmp/abi.abw" ; touch "$F" && abiword "$F"

Then it runs just like a file creation from the command line would.
You may have inadvertently discovered a new bug.  Should a 0 byte file
be a valid '.abi' format?



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