#1053666 file: mscgen's examples are not classified as Message Sequence Charts

Package:
file
Source:
file
Description:
Recognize the type of data in a file using "magic" numbers
Submitter:
Niels Thykier
Date:
2026-01-10 10:59:25 UTC
Severity:
normal
#1053666#5
Date:
2023-10-08 11:32:25 UTC
From:
To:
Hi,

Another MSC related bug report for file.

It seems that `file` uses `msc {` to detect a Message Sequence Chart per
the following mini test:

```
$ echo 'msc {' | file -
/dev/stdin: Message Sequence Chart (chart)
```

So it would seem reasonable that the mscgen's examples would be
classified as a `Message Sequence Chart` as they contain this phrase:

```
$ grep 'msc {' examples/client_server.mscin
msc {
```

However, `file` considers them to be `ASCII` text:

```
$ file examples/*.mscin
examples/boxes_example.mscin:    ASCII text
examples/client_server.mscin:    ASCII text
examples/colour_sample.mscin:    ASCII text
examples/msg_types.mscin:        ASCII text
examples/simple_prog_desc.mscin: ASCII text
```

I suspect the "problem" is that the examples starts with comments
covering the license of the example and some context about the example.


All examples here are from the `mscgen/0.20-14` Debian source package. I
have not tried `file` on the installed examples. The installed examples
has a #!-line, which could affect the outcome in a different direction.

#1053666#10
Date:
2026-01-10 10:10:29 UTC
From:
To:
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