nslookup

[Barry Margolin]

In article <cq6t2r$2bfh$1 at sf1.isc.org>,
 David Botham <DBotham at OptimusSolutions.com> wrote:

> I am not sure what you mean by convoluted:
> 
> 
> dig <type> <class> <domainname> @<nameserver> +/-<option>
> 
> 
> Everything you want to specify about a domain name query is right there. 
> Yes, there are bunches of options that can be really complicated, but, you 
> have to admit, name server queries can be quite complicated...

Its syntax is very unusual for Unix.

Some of the options use "-" as the prefix, others use "+".  The "+" 
options are whole words, but abbreviation is allowed (what do they think 
this is, VMS?).  If a "+" option takes a parameter, it uses "=" to 
delimit the option from the value, rather than space.

The non-option parameters can be in almost any order, and intermixed 
with the options.

None of this is inherently bad, but if you're an experienced Unix user 
you expect most commands to follow the common Unix option conventions, 
and commands that don't are naturally harder to learn.  "dig" is even 
worse than "find" in this respect.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar at alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***