It's appositival, if it's there. And it doesn't have to be there. And it's really obvious that it's there when it's there.
Let's say the docs present a simplified view of reality.
Perl is designed to give you several ways to do anything, so consider picking the most readable one.
Just don't create a file called '-rf.'
If someone stinks, view it as a reason to help them, not a reason to avoid them.
What about writing it first and rationalizing it afterwards?