Hi.
Is this convincing?
Quote:
bold text type exactly as shown.
italic text replace with appropriate argument.
[-abc] any or all arguments within [ ] are optional.
-a|-b options delimited by | cannot be used together.
argument ... argument is repeatable.
[expression] ... entire expression within [ ] is repeatable.
The command or function illustration is a pattern that should match all
possible invocations. In some cases it is advisable to illustrate sev-
eral exclusive invocations as is shown in the SYNOPSIS section of this
manual page.
-- excerpt from GNU/Linux man man
I agree that consistency is to be valued - especially for a set of commands in a specific project -- however, {GNU/Linux, Solaris, other *nix}-universe consistency and consensus is unlikely in my opinion. It may even be undesirable -- too many rules have a chilling effect on innovation.
Your particular situation may be saying more about your developers than about the *nix universe.
Best wishes ... cheers, drl