> 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? -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org