GNU bug report logs - #16922
df --si -h should emit a warning

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Message #37 received at 16922 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bernhard Voelker <mail <at> bernhard-voelker.de>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
Cc: Mateusz Jończyk <mat.jonczyk <at> o2.pl>,
 16922 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#16922: df --si -h should emit a warning
Date: Mon, 03 Mar 2014 11:06:55 +0100

On 03/03/2014 10:35 AM, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> On 03/03/2014 08:00 AM, Bernhard Voelker wrote:
>> On 03/03/2014 04:02 AM, Pádraig Brady wrote:
>>    -h, --human-readable  print abbreviated sizes in powers of 1024 (e.g. 1023M)
>>    -H, --si              print abbreviated sizes in powers of 1000 (e.g. 1.1G)
>>
>> However, I still see 2 problems:
>>
>> a) The reader doesn't know the code, and therefore doesn't know
>> that both numbers originate from a calculation based on the same
>> number:
>
> True. I considered mentioning that, but the user doesn't really _need_
> to know that. The more mathematically inclined will see it immediately,
> but that's a small advantage and shouldn't be needed as we wanted these
> descriptions to be meaningful in isolation anyway.

I agree.

>>> +      const int example_size = 1023*1024*1024;
>>
>> I would be good to let the user know that.
>>
>> b) Both numbers are suffixed with the one-character notation (M,G),
>> i.e. comparing that to the explanation of these below in the usage
>> text, the reader may be confused again:
>>
>>    SIZE is an integer and optional unit (example: 10M is 10*1024*1024).  Units
>>    are K, M, G, T, P, E, Z, Y (powers of 1024) or KB, MB, ... (powers of 1000).
>
> So SIZE here refers to the _input_ argument mentioned previously in the --help.
> We might make this a bit more clear with BSIZE, but this same note is refactored
> for use by df, du, ls, split, truncate. truncate(1) for example uses it to refer
> to both a threshold and block size. Perhaps we should clarify like:
>
>      The SIZE argument is an integer and optional unit (example: 10K is 10*1024).
>      Units are K,M,G,T,P,E,Z,Y (powers of 1024) or KB,MB, ... (powers of 1000).

Good idea. Thanks.

>> Well, in the texinfo manual, it's mentioned that `M' can stand both for
>> a mebibyte (in the -h case) as well as for a megabyte (in the -H case).
>> But somehow this is confusing: when used in SIZE, i.e. together with -B
>> as input option, then the user must use 'M' vs. 'MB' to make clear whether
>> to use powers of 1024 vs. 1000, while df(1) doesn't make that difference
>> in the output with -h vs. -H.
>>
>>    $ src/df -h / | sed 1d
>>    /dev/sdb2        20G  8.7G   10G  47% /
>>
>>    $ src/df -H / | sed 1d
>>    /dev/sdb2        22G  9.3G   11G  47% /
>>
>> Shouldn't it say 22GB etc. in the latter -H case? And "1.1GB" in
>> the above usage text?  Now I'm confused, too ... ;-/
>> Monday morning syndrome?
>
> It is confusing unfortunately.
> I previously summarized some of these inconsistencies here:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/coreutils/2012-09/msg00179.html

Thanks for the link ... it seems that it's always only me who is
confused, and coincidentally that post was also on a Monday. ;-)
Therefore, I think we can go with the stuff you have in your
local patch.

Thanks & have a nice day,
Berny

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