The graphical user interface of an IDE option panel for the GNU Pascal compiler, could have checkboxes for options iike "short-circuit", "extended-syntax" and many other.
Now, if the user e.g. checks the "short-circuit" checkbox and unchecks the "extended-syntax" checkbox, the IDE plug-in could choose (1) to pass no command line arguments to GPC for these options, because both are set to their default (2) to pass command line arguments for both options, whatever their default.
The disadvantage of (1) is that it breaks if the default changes or if the documentation is wrong, of (2) that it cumulates into a very long list of arguments. Any advice on what is the lesser evil ?
Things become more difficult if the default for an option depends on the Pascal dialect, as with "ignore-packed" and other options. Here, a three-state user interface element "default, yes, no" may be the alternative.
Regards,
Adriaan van Os