8223814: SA: jhsdb common help needs to be more detailed

[David Holmes]

Hi Osamu,

On 28/05/2019 3:57 pm, Osamu Sakamoto wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> David,
> Thank you for reviewing.
> 
> I agree with your comment.
> I fixed the patch and Yasumasa uploaded the webrev for this fixed patch.
> <http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~ysuenaga/JDK-8223814/webrev.00/>
> 
> And I attached fixed --help outputs to this mail(help2.txt).

That all looks good to me - thanks. Just one minor correction in one of 
my suggestions:

+        System.out.println("    --core <corefile>\tTo operate on a 
given core file.");

s/a/the/

and one minor correction to yours:

+        System.out.println("    --dumpfile <name>\tA Name of the dump 
file.");

s/A Name/The name/

Thanks,
David
-----

> 
> Serugui,
> 
> In this patch, I added angle brackets only to 
> parameters(--pid/--core/--exe/debugd --severid/jmap --dumpfile), not 
> descriptions of each options.
> Does this form match your comment in this RFE?
> <https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8223814>
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Osamu
> 
> 
> On 5/28/19 08:50, David Holmes wrote:
>> Hi Osamu,
>>
>> I have a lot of "suggestions" here. Writing good help output is not 
>> easy, and the more you try to do things the more you expose existing 
>> problems - which is the case here I'm afraid. I didn't fully realize 
>> the constraints these commands had in regards to how they operate 
>> either on a live process or else using a core file and executable 
>> together, so some of my previous guidance was a little mis-guided. 
>> Sorry about that.
>>
>> On 23/05/2019 7:34 pm, Osamu Sakamoto wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I've made the patch that was discussed here.
>>> <https://mail.openjdk.java.net/pipermail/serviceability-dev/2019-May/028042.html> 
>>>
>>>
>>> This patch fixes the following JBS ticket.
>>> <https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8223814>
>>>
>>> I attached the patch to this email.
>>> This patch passes serviceability/sa jtreg tests.
>>
>> +        System.out.println("");
>> +        System.out.println("    --pid and --exe are mutually 
>> execlusive, and --core only goes with --exe.");
>> +        System.out.println("    Arguments following the --exe and 
>> --core can be absolute or relative path.");
>>
>> This  partially captures the intent that the flags are mutually 
>> exclusive but its more complex than this. I would suggest:
>>
>> ---
>> The --core and --exe options must be set together to give the core 
>> file, and associated executable, to operate on. Otherwise the --pid 
>> option can be set to operate on a live process.
>> The arguments for --exe and --core can use absolute or relative paths.
>> ---
>>
>> +        System.out.println("    Examples: jhsdb " + mode + " --pid 
>> <pid>");
>> +        System.out.println("          or  jhsdb " + mode + " --exe 
>> <executable> --core <core>");
>>
>> As these are examples I would substitute actual values eg:
>>
>> --pid 1234
>> --core ./core.1234 --exe ./myexe
>>
>> ---
>>
>> The suggestion to use angle brackets has been taken too far - angle 
>> brackets delimit an argument to a flag, they do not delimit a 
>> description of the option. For example in:
>>
>> $jhsdb jstack --help
>>      --locks     <to print java.util.concurrent locks>
>>      --mixed     <to print both java and native frames (mixed mode)>
>>      --exe       <executable image name>
>>      --core      <path to coredump>
>>      --pid       <pid of process to attach>
>>
>> The:
>>
>>      --locks     <to print java.util.concurrent locks>
>>
>> should just be:
>>
>>      --locks     To print java.util.concurrent locks.
>>
>> The same for --mixed.
>>
>> I suggest turning the descriptions into sentences as shown with 
>> initial capitals and final period.
>>
>> But that highlights an inconsistent approach with regards to 
>> --exe/--pid/--core as we are not describing the meaning of those flags 
>> on the same line. For consistency we should have in this order:
>>
>>      --pid <pid>        To attach to and operate on the given live 
>> process.
>>      --core <corefile>  To operate on a given core file.
>>      --exe <executable for corefile>
>>
>> This puts the focus on --core where it belongs - the --exe is just 
>> something that has to accompany --core. So that putting it all 
>> together we would have:
>>
>> $jhsdb jstack --help
>>     --locks     To print java.util.concurrent locks.
>>     --mixed     To print both Java and native frames (mixed mode).
>>     --pid <pid> To attach to and operate on the given live process.
>>     --core <corefile>  To operate on a given core file.
>>     --exe <executable for corefile>
>>
>>     The --core and --exe options must be set together to give the core
>>     file, and associated executable, to operate on. Otherwise the --pid
>>     option can be set to operate on a live process.
>>     The arguments for --exe and --core can use absolute or relative 
>> paths.
>> ----
>>
>> For:
>>
>>      --serverid  <unique id for this debug server>
>>
>> I suggest
>>
>>      --serverid  <id>  A unique identifier for this debug server.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> David
>> --------
>>
>>
>>> Could you help? I would like to contribute it. I need a sponsor.
>>> (My company has signed to OCA (NTT Comware Corporation))
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Osamu
> 
>