Minor annoyance: output of rebar help new is different from rebar new help

[aronisstav]

Environment

$ rebar3 report help new
Rebar3 report
 version 3.6.1
 generated at 2018-09-07T08:53:45+00:00
=================
Please submit this along with your issue at https://github.com/erlang/rebar3/issues (and feel free to edit out private information, if any)
-----------------
Task: helpnew
Entered as:
  helpnew
-----------------
Operating System: x86_64-apple-darwin17.6.0
ERTS: Erlang/OTP 21 [erts-10.0] [source] [64-bit] [smp:4:4] [ds:4:4:10] [async-threads:1] [hipe]
Root Directory: /Users/stavros/otps/21.0
Library directory: /Users/stavros/otps/21.0/lib
-----------------
Loaded Applications:
bbmustache: 1.5.0
certifi: 2.0.0
cf: 0.2.2
common_test: 1.16
compiler: 7.2
crypto: 4.3
cth_readable: 1.4.2
dialyzer: 3.3
edoc: 0.9.3
erlware_commons: 1.2.0
eunit: 2.3.6
eunit_formatters: 0.5.0
getopt: 1.0.1
hipe: 3.18
inets: 7.0
kernel: 6.0
providers: 1.7.0
public_key: 1.6
relx: 3.26.0
sasl: 3.2
snmp: 5.2.11
ssl_verify_fun: 1.1.3
stdlib: 3.5
syntax_tools: 2.1.5
tools: 3.0

-----------------
Escript path: undefined
Providers:
  app_discovery as clean compile compile cover ct deps dialyzer do edoc escriptize eunit get-deps help install install_deps list lock new path pkgs release relup report shell state tar tree unlock update upgrade upgrade upgrade version xref

Current behaviour

$ rebar3 new help
Call `rebar3 new help <template>` for a detailed description

app (built-in): Complete OTP Application structure.
cmake (built-in): Standalone Makefile for building C/C++ in c_src
escript (built-in): Complete escriptized application structure
lib (built-in): Complete OTP Library application (no processes) structure
plugin (built-in): Rebar3 plugin project structure
release (built-in): OTP Release structure for executable programs
umbrella (built-in): OTP structure for executable programs (alias of 'release' template)

$ rebar3 help new
Create rebar3 project based on template and vars.

Valid command line options:
  <template> [var=foo,...]

Usage: rebar3 new [-f]

  -f, --force  overwrite existing files

Expected behaviour

The output should (?) be the same.

The concrete reason I am reporting this: I wanted to see the list of templates and intuitively used rebar3 help new, which didn't return anything useful. I had to go to documentation to see that what I should have used was rebar3 new or rebar3 new help.

I could work to fix that, if you agree that this is indeed desirable.

[ferd]

it should, but it can't.

The help provided by rebar3 help new is purely static and based on metadata given by the new provider before the shape of the project is even scanned by the tools.

By comparison, rebar3 new help is allowed to run post-scan and is able to go find the templates in plugins, global configuration, and so on.

I don't think that there is a way to fix this since it's kind of baked into how the whole 'provider' mechanism is put together.

[aronisstav]

Then perhaps a hint when doing rebar3 help XXX that more help might be available by rebar3 XXX help would be sufficient to nudge in the right direction?

[ferd]

yeah that's a good idea