Use whatever you prefer¹, but if what you care for is the logic of reading left to right, you can do so without `cat` by doing instead `< file.txt | ...`
¹ It’s absurd this needs to be spelled out, but here we are.
I want to type 'cat'.
The visual imagery of summoning a cute cat to do my POSIX sorcery trumps all else.
Then do. I’m certainly not stopping you, or saying you’re wrong to do it. I offered an alternative with no judgement for the other method.
I don’t think that’s what they’re saying. I think they’re making the point that going left to right with the file first is what makes sense to them, as opposed to `... < file.txt`.
And you’re assuming they do. It’s safe to assume at least one person reading the comment won’t know about the feature, the information is useful to more than that poster.
> but I can still see an argument for "cat" being more natural than "<" in this context.
You’re also assuming I don’t understand that sentiment. That has nothing to do with my original post. I don’t care what you use, do whatever makes you happiest. I was merely offering an alternative that would still satisfy what I perceived to be the original point (command piping left to right) to share knowledge, I was in no way criticising their method or saying they shouldn’t use it.
This is a useless conversation.