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Each option has at least one mnemonic option name starting with two dashes in a row, v.g. `--list' (`-t'). The mnemonic option names are more legible than the corresponding short or old option names, you may prefer them if you highly praise clarity. It sometimes happens that a single mnemonic option has many different different names, which are then synonymous. In addition, mnemonic option names can be given unique abbreviations. For example, `--cre' can be used in place of `--create' because there is no other mnemonic option which begins with `cre'.
Some options require an argument. This is the case of the
`--file=archive-name' (`-f archive-name') option, which tells the name of the
tar archive. The argument of a mnemonic option is usually
given right after the option itself, and introduced by an equal sign.
For example, the `--file=archive-name' (`-f archive-name') option is given the `archive.tar'
file as argument by using the notation `--file=archive.tar' for
the mnemonic option.
Mnemonic options are meant to be obvious and easy to remember, possibly more so than their corresponding short options, below. For example:
tar --create --verbose --block-size=20 --file=/dev/rmt0
gives a fairly good set of hints about what the command does, even
for those not fully acquainted with tar.
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