Tcl Source Code

The new clock engine introduces new pseudo seconds value as quasi "option" -now, as a replacement for [clock seconds] supplied as a base.

This is also described in the TIP.

clock scan now is a free-scan form (without format) what was always able to parse "word" now... this has indirectly nothing to do with the -now "option" (which is normally applicable for clock format or clock add).

clock scan always uses base -now by default, but it can be surely supplied with -base parameter additionally (although doesn't make sense, because as already said by default it is now):

% clock scan "+1 month" -base -now
1724623200
% clock scan "+1 month"
1724623200
% clock scan "now +1 month"
1724623200
% clock scan "tomorrow +1 month"
1724709600

Just note that only free-scan form of clock scan accepts now (or tomorrow or whatever).

Anyway both have nothing to do with each others (one is a base value to format, add etc, another is a user input to scan).

> Afaict, “-now” is really a value, not an option.

Well, matter of taste probably. One can consider it as an option so that then commands clock add and clock format don't need a value (value becomes optional in that case).

However, I'm not against can to treat now and -now as synonyms (no idea it'd need a TIP again). But please without further deprecation of -now.

I have to disagree. It doesn't make sense. The [clock format] command takes one argument indicating which time value to format. Allowing some symbolic name to serve as a shorthand for the frequently used value [clock seconds] is useful. But that symbolic name still represents a value. So it should just be a simple symbolic name, like "now". It shouldn't be a "quasi" option that needs to be in a specific position and then disallows providing the value argument. (The statement that value becomes optional is not true. If both are provided, an error is thrown.)

Why introduce such a complicated set of rules when it could suffice to say that "the word 'now' may be used for timeVal to mean the current time".

So I definitely would say that "now" should at least be accepted in all the places where "-now" has recently been introduced. I also think that "-now" should be deprecated as soon as possible, because we should get rid of things that are not logical. In my opinion, "-now" deserves that qualification.

I'm with Schelte on this one for exactly the reasons he described. It doesn't matter what the context for usage; in the user's mind it refers to current time and having to remember where to use "now" and where to use "-now" is unnecessary and confusing.

If "-now" needs to be maintained as a synonym for some reason (compatibility with 9.0 beta releases?) we can just leave it undocumented.