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

[Ruslan Ermilov]

On Mon, Jan 19, 2004 at 01:22:54AM -0800, David Schultz wrote:
> 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.
> 
POSIX says "the decimal exponent of 2", and it sounds pretty
legal in mathematics, at least in this part of the world.  ;)


Cheers,
-- 
Ruslan Ermilov
FreeBSD committer
ru at FreeBSD.org
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