cvs commit: src/lib/libc/stdio printf.3

[David Schultz]

On Mon, Jan 19, 2004, Peter Jeremy wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 19, 2004 at 12:28:30AM -0800, David Schultz wrote:
> >das         2004/01/19 00:28:30 PST
> >
> >  FreeBSD src repository
> >
> >  Modified files:
> >    lib/libc/stdio       printf.3 
> >  Log:
> >  Bring the *printf(3) documentation up to date with the code:
> >  
> >  - Update and improve the documentation for %[aA]
> ...
> >    o Clarify that the exponent field represents a decimal exponent of 2.
> 
>  The
>  .Cm p
>  is a literal character
> -.Ql p ;
> -the exponent is preceded by a positive or negative sign
> -and is represented in decimal, using only enough characters
> -to represent the exponent.
> +.Ql p ,
> +and the exponent consists of a positive or negative sign
> +followed by a decimal number representing an exponent of 2.
> 
> Maybe it's just me but I still don't find that wording very clear.
> I'm still not totally happy with the following but I think changing
> '2' to 'base-2' makes it a bit clearer:
> 
> .Ql p ,
> and the exponent consists of a positive or negative sign
> followed by a decimal number representing the base-2 exponent.

Hmm...to me, ``base-2 foo'' means ``foo represented in base 2'',
so I'm not too happy with that wording.  It's hard to think of
something better, though; ``power of 2'' is also easily
misinterpreted.  I'm open to other suggestions, though.