required vs optional

[Peter Rice]

David Martin wrote (but not to the list):
> 
> On Thu, 8 Feb 2001, Peter Rice wrote:
> 
> > No problem at all - we plan to ignore it, unless we can think of a use for it
> > (like a -needed command line qualifier that only prompts for the needed
> > values. You are completely free to choose your own default.
> 
> Umm.. surely there should be a defined default at the ACD level, not at
> the acd processeing application level, and James is right with needed: y
> because it is somewhat stupid to have a default for options that says they
> are not needed (in which case why put them in?)

EMBOSS will have a default (N) but will not be using it. We can define a
default behaviour later if we want to make use of it. A -needed qualifier
would be fun, but probably not of general interest.

> Is there a copy of the ACD guide in anything other than HTML or PS, and if
> so, can I have it to add to the collection. I am tempted to go mad and
> rewrite everything into DocBook..

There was an MS-Word original, but I believe it is now maintained in HTML.

-- 
------------------------------------------------
Peter Rice, LION Bioscience Ltd, Cambridge, UK
peter.rice at uk.lionbioscience.com +44 1223 224723