> I'm starting to operate my databases with the command line tools. I
> find that they are unnecesarily hard to learn due to having different
> switches for smiliar purposes.
>
> I can provide some examples, I'm sure long time users will know more.
>
> Specify User Specify Password Specify Role
> Gbak -user -pas -ro
> Isql -u -p -r
> Gsec -user -password -role
> Gstat -u -p n/a
>
> This gets more confusing by having abreviations and full version of
> the switches in some but not all of the tools.
> And why is gback printing its switches in capitals when one issues the
> --help command?
>
> Gfix's man says the password can be specified with -pa or -password.
> Not -pas?
> And when creating a new user the password is preceded by -pw, a new
> variation.
> Even the --help which sometimes is also -h but not always.
> A quick look at gdef shows it follows gbak's capitals for switches in
> the --help screen and -user -password
>
> When you are learning to use these tools these are less usable and
> harder to learn because of these little differences that get in the
> middle.
>
> How hard is to use always -u, -p and -r for user, password and role
> across all tools?
> The -h is also easy to add.
>
> I know this is obvious for all of you. :-) Just pointing at the only
> thing that is annoying me these days.
>

agreed - it's always annoyed the hell out of me. I've learned to use the
command line tools as little as apossible but when I am forsced to use them
I have to go digging and waste a lot of time trying to remember why they
don't accept the switches.
Alan