# Seeming documentation problem (rclone's syntax); a problem with the categories on this forum

**URL:** <https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395>\
**Category:** Site Feedback\
**Created:** [April 3, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395 "2024-04-03T01:22:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LinuxOnTheDesktop](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/linuxonthedesktop/32/2312_2.png) [@LinuxOnTheDesktop](https://forum.rclone.org/u/LinuxOnTheDesktop)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395/1 "2024-04-03T01:22:01Z")

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1. The top page of rclone's documentation presents rclone's 'basic syntax' thusly:

```auto
Syntax: [options] subcommand <parameters> <parameters...>

```

it seems to me though that the ensuing text on the page (and there is a lot of that text) does not specify just what an option is and just what a parameter is. Do parameters comprise only paths? Presuming _yes_, does rclone support using `--` to separate options from parameters/paths? I think the documentation should make all of this clear.

1. No forum category seems to suit discussion of rclone's _documentation_.

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**Author:** ![ncw](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/ncw/32/18_2.png) [@ncw](https://forum.rclone.org/u/ncw)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395/2 "2024-04-03T16:09:12Z")

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> [@LinuxOnTheDesktop](#):
>
> it seems to me though that the ensuing text on the page (and there is a lot of that text) does not specify just what an option is and just what a parameter is.

It doesn't, you are right!

An `option` is a single letter flag `-v` or a group of single letter flags `-Pv` or a long flag `--progress`

A parameter is usually a file path or rclone remote, eg `/path/to/file` or `remote:path/to/file` but there are exceptions to that.

> [@LinuxOnTheDesktop](#):
>
> does rclone support using `--` to separate options from parameters/paths?

Yes it does. Anything after a `--` will not be interpreted as an option.

Note also that `options` can come after or in between `parameters` too, but only global options can be used before the `subcommand`.

> [@LinuxOnTheDesktop](#):
>
> No forum category seems to suit discussion of rclone's _documentation_.

Point taken!

If you look at the end of the docs file you can find a [link to the source file](https://github.com/rclone/rclone/blob/master/docs/content/docs.md) - if you click on that then you can propose edits (click the pencil icon).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![LinuxOnTheDesktop](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/linuxonthedesktop/32/2312_2.png) [@LinuxOnTheDesktop](https://forum.rclone.org/u/LinuxOnTheDesktop)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395/3 "2024-04-03T17:13:45Z")

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Thanks, Nick - that's helpful. However, even now, I do not know enough about Rclone to propose amendments to the relevant documentation page.

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**Author:** ![ncw](https://forum.rclone.org/user_avatar/forum.rclone.org/ncw/32/18_2.png) [@ncw](https://forum.rclone.org/u/ncw)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395/4 "2024-04-05T14:58:49Z")

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I put a reworked version of what I said above in the docs which will go live in v1.66.1 - thank you for your comments.

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**Author:** ![system](https://forum.rclone.org/uploads/default/original/2X/3/39ad3235f6ffec76ccd0c81616bd55697b4c300d.png) [@system](https://forum.rclone.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 10:59am UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/seeming-documentation-problem-rclones-syntax-a-problem-with-the-categories-on-this-forum/45395/5 "2024-06-05T10:59:34Z")

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Closed on June 5, 2024, 10:59am UTC

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