[SOLVED] Number of characters permitted in a thread title

Thread title:

Copy the contents of a txt file to other txt files (with similar names) by cp command

I had to spend 10 minutes in making the above statement fit in as the thread title,

I wanted it like this:

How to copy the contents of a text file to other text files (with similar names) through the cp command

Other members may not be facing this problem, fine,
but still, any chances of increasing the permitted characters in the thread title ? (w.r.t the following quote)

Please try to be as descriptive as possible. A subject that accurately describes your problem will make your thread much more likely to get a quick response.

if you need more than 32 tokens, you cannot define your problem and you should stick with windows..

the title is not for the question. the title is for the subject!

if lq allows 1 MB of title space people start cramping the full question, with code examples, in it.

Originally Posted by fruttenboel the title is not for the question. the title is for the subject!

Sometimes the question and the subject are same e.g.
1. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...system-802315/

and the error messages are lengthy
2. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...output-802825/

I could have named the above thread as "cp command woes" but I do not consider that as a great descriptive title !!

Originally Posted by fruttenboel if lq allows 1 MB of title space people start cramping the full question, with code examples, in it.

Who is asking for 1 MB space ? I asked just for a little more to complete the sentences at least !!

Also descriptive doesn't mean you can't use -Z or --compress: '"cp" text file contents to other text files how?'. 41 chars, that and a pretty much OK description.

Yes that is what I said in my OP. It took me minutes to think "how should I shorten that title" ! Perhaps I am not that witty and sharp as you are.

Do you really think it will waste too much space on LQ if you just permit x/2 more characters in the title (assuming x to be the number of characters currently permitted) ?

I don't think space (or what I think) really is the issue here (other than forum software settings versus screen estate) but people in general not giving finding fitting thread titles much thought. Then again I'm not the average user nor can I say anything authoritatively wrt these things but I'm sure that if a hundred unique LQ members or so file a bug report about this that it would warrant more attention.

Originally Posted by unSpawn but I'm sure that if a hundred unique LQ members or so file a bug report about this that it would warrant more attention.

If 100 LQ members would have such issues in their mind then there would have been lesser work for the mods

Thanks! So we only need another 99 now...

Originally Posted by unSpawn Thanks! So we only need another 99 now...

Trying to make fun of me ? Anyway I am not offended.

How to copy the contents of a text file to other text files (with similar names) through the cp command

cp text_file text_file_with_similar_name

Surely the similarity of names does not affect this. Computers don't understand "similar", it's either the same file of it's a different file.

Also, the fact that it's a text file doesn't matter. cp just copies the data exactly, no matter what it is.

If you meant that the other files already exist, then remember that cp clobbers any existing destination files by default. If you have an alias or something that says it not to, use the -f option.

In the end, why not call it "How to copy files?" or "How to use the cp command?"?

Originally Posted by MTK358 In the end, why not call it "How to copy files?" or "How to use the cp command?"?

Those two titles would be inappropriate in my case:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...2/#post4021496

OK, so is it correct that you want to append text to files?

If so, then why not say "How to append one text file to another?" ? That would have let us tell you that cp is not the right command.

copy file to multiple files - how?

The title of the thread doesn't have to include everything important about the question; it just needs to include enough so that the readers understand the general topic of the discussion, and can reasonably decide whether they might have the expertise to provide help in that area.

In other words, the main criterion I use when deciding which threads to click on is "do I know anything about this subject?" If I think I do, I'll check it out, if not, I'll pass on it. If the subject is too vague to tell, then it depends entirely on my mood at the time.

Speaking of which, the "through the cp command" part of the above is really the wrong way go about asking the question anyway. Unless you have some very specific reason for using that one command, it's generally better to simply state what you want to accomplish, and leave the how part of it to the discussion itself. Quite often the best solution will have nothing to do with the method the OP thinks should be used.