# what does this mean?

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243>\
**Category:** Programming\
**Created:** [February 4, 2011, 11:13am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243 "2011-02-04T11:13:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![omega666](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/omega666/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@omega666](https://community.unix.com/u/omega666)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:13am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/1 "2011-02-04T11:13:23Z")

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when a C program is run from a unix server using this:

- myprog [-d dictionary] string

where myprog is the name of the program. What do the arguments mean? and the \* at the beginning?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scott](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/scott/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Scott](https://community.unix.com/u/Scott)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/2 "2011-02-04T11:31:13Z")

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The asterisk has no place there - it's wrong, and dangerous.

```nohighlight
$ echo rm > rm && chmod 700 rm
$ touch x y
$ ls
rm	x	y
$ *
$ ls
rm

```

Options in square brackets generally mean that the option is, well, optional.

And there's nothing special, or different, about how C programs are run, compared to any other program.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![omega666](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/omega666/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@omega666](https://community.unix.com/u/omega666)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/3 "2011-02-04T11:32:37Z")

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i get the string argument is just passing a string, but what does -d dictionary mean, what does that argument do?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scott](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/scott/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Scott](https://community.unix.com/u/Scott)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:34am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/4 "2011-02-04T11:34:38Z")

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I presume it is for (optionally) specifying a dictionary name that myprog can use.

If not, you should ask whoever wrote myprog what it is used for.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![omega666](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/omega666/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@omega666](https://community.unix.com/u/omega666)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:35am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/5 "2011-02-04T11:35:39Z")

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do you mean it is targeting a file in the same directory?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scott](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/scott/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Scott](https://community.unix.com/u/Scott)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/6 "2011-02-04T11:38:42Z")

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I didn't write myprog so I would have no idea.

(sorry, I misread the first time as "directory", but it's "dictionary".)

Who's program is this? Is there documentation or a man page - or a man - that you could consult?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![omega666](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/omega666/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@omega666](https://community.unix.com/u/omega666)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/7 "2011-02-04T11:46:41Z")

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what would i type in man, dictionary? or assuming that dictionary is a file in the same directory, what does the -d mean?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Scott](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/scott/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@Scott](https://community.unix.com/u/Scott)\
**Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/what-does-this-mean/282243/8 "2011-02-04T11:55:53Z")

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Consult the documentation for myprog - whatever that is.

If whoever wrote it was kind enough to write a man page for it, then use `man myprog` , or an info page - use `info myprog` , otherwise read whatever documentation there is for myprog.

-d is an option to the program, and dictionary is an argument to that option. You're supposed to replace dictionary with, I presume, the name of a dictionary.

I'm closing this thread. Please read the documentation for the program you are referring to. If you need help understanding the general concepts then consult our [man pages](http://www.unix.com/man-page/OpenSolaris/1/man/), which contain hundreds of commands, most of which take options just like "myprog" - whatever that is - does.