diff -r 95a958e3de88 -r 72a98cbcb9f1 cline.c
--- a/cline.c	Thu Jan 26 15:55:52 2012 +0100
+++ b/cline.c	Thu Feb 02 14:17:35 2012 +0100
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@
     "\n\nOptions:"
     "\n  -b <level>          - binary file heuristics level (default medium)"
     "\n                        One of: ignore low medium high"
+    "\n  -E <pattern>        - Excludes any line matching the <pattern>"
     "\n  -e <start> <end>    - Excludes lines between <start> and <end>"
-    "\n                        You may use this option multiple times"
+    "\n                        You may use these options multiple times"
     "\n  -h, --help          - this help text"
     "\n  -m                  - print information about matching files only"
     "\n  -s <suffixes>       - only count files with these suffixes (separated"
@@ -35,13 +36,18 @@
     "\n  -V                  - turn verbose output off, print the result only"
     "\n\n"
     "The default call without any options is:"    
-    "\n  cline ./\n"
+    "\n  cline ./\n\n"
     "So each file in the working directory is counted. If you want to count C"
     "\nsource code in your working directory and its subdirectories, type:"
     "\n  cline -rs .c\n"
-    "\nIf you want to exclude comment lines, you may use the -e option."
+    "\nIf you want to exclude comment lines, you may use the -e/-E option."
     "\nAfter a line matches the regex pattern <start> any following line is"
-    "\nnot counted unless a line matches the <end> pattern.";
+    "\nnot counted unless a line matches the <end> pattern. A line is still "
+    "\ncounted when it does not start or end with the respective patterns."
+    "\nPlease note, that cline does not remove whitespace characters as this"
+    "\nmight not be reasonable in some cases."
+    "\n\nExample (C comments):"
+    "\n  cline -s .c,.h -E \"\\s*//\" -e \"\\s*/\\*\" \"\\*/\\s*\"";
     
   printf(helpText);
 }
@@ -74,7 +80,7 @@
 
   for (int t = 1 ; t < argc ; t++) {
 
-    int argflags = checkArgument(argv[t], "hsSrRmvVbe");
+    int argflags = checkArgument(argv[t], "hsSrRmvVbeE");
 
     /* s, S */
     if ((argflags & 6) > 0) {
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@
         return exit_with_help(settings, 1);
       }
     }
+    /* e */
     if ((argflags & 512) > 0) {
       if (t + 2 >= argc) {
         return exit_with_help(settings, 1);
@@ -145,6 +152,15 @@
       t++; add_string(settings->regex->pattern_list, argv[t]);
       t++; add_string(settings->regex->pattern_list, argv[t]);
     }
+    /* E */
+    if ((argflags & 1024) > 0) {
+      t++;
+      if (t >= argc) {
+        return exit_with_help(settings, 1);
+      }
+      add_string(settings->regex->pattern_list, argv[t]);
+      add_string(settings->regex->pattern_list, "$");
+    }
     /* Path */
     if (argflags == 0) {
       if (registerArgument(&checked, 1024)) {
@@ -167,27 +183,29 @@
   }
 
   /* Scan directory */
-  regex_compile_all(settings->regex);
-  int lines = scanDirectory((scanner_t){directory, 0}, settings);
-  destroy_settings_t(settings);
+  if (regex_compile_all(settings->regex)) {
+    int lines = scanDirectory((scanner_t){directory, 0}, settings);
+    destroy_settings_t(settings);
 
-  /* Print double line and line count */
-  for (int t = 0 ; t < 79 ; t++) {
-    printf("=");
-  }
-  printf("\n%73d lines\n", lines);
+    /* Print double line and line count */
+    for (int t = 0 ; t < 79 ; t++) {
+      printf("=");
+    }
+    printf("\n%73d lines\n", lines);
 
-  if (settings->confusing_lnlen && settings->regex->pattern_list->count > 0) {
-    printf("\nSome files contain too long lines.\n"
-      "The regex parser currently supports a maximum line length of %d."
-      "\nThe result might be wrong.\n", REGEX_MAX_LINELENGTH);
-  }
+    if (settings->confusing_lnlen && settings->regex->pattern_list->count > 0) {
+      printf("\nSome files contain too long lines.\n"
+        "The regex parser currently supports a maximum line length of %d."
+        "\nThe result might be wrong.\n", REGEX_MAX_LINELENGTH);
+    }
 
-  if (!settings->verbose) {
-    reopen_stdout();
-    printf("%d", lines);
+    if (!settings->verbose) {
+      reopen_stdout();
+      printf("%d", lines);
+    }
   }
 
   fflush(stdout);
+  fflush(stderr);
   return 0;
 }