GNU bug report logs - #79113
du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and behaviour

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and behaviour
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 22:44:21 +0800

Hi,

Version: env du --version => du (GNU coreutils) 9.7
OS: archlinux, x86-64

The GNU coreutils manual says
(https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#index-_002d_002dtime_002dstyle-1):
- "You can specify the default value of the --time-style option with
the environment variable TIME_STYLE; if TIME_STYLE is not set the
default style is ‘long-iso’." -> yes
- "For compatibility with ls, if TIME_STYLE begins with ‘+’ and
contains a newline, the newline and any later characters are ignored;"

That does not match behaviour, newlines are just used as-is:
```
$ env du --time --time-style="$(printf "+xyz\nabc")" blob
96 xyz
abc blob
```

- "if TIME_STYLE begins with ‘posix-’ the ‘posix-’ is ignored; and if
TIME_STYLE is ‘locale’ it is ignored."

Also doesn't match, `posix-` is not allowed, `locale` is not allowed:
```
$ env du --time --time-style=posix-iso blob
du: invalid argument ‘posix-iso’ for ‘time style’
Valid arguments are:
  - ‘full-iso’
  - ‘long-iso’
  - ‘iso’
Try 'du --help' for more information.
$ env du --time --time-style=locale blob
du: invalid argument ‘locale’ for ‘time style’
Valid arguments are:
  - ‘full-iso’
  - ‘long-iso’
  - ‘iso’
Try 'du --help' for more information.
```

Finally, the help text doesn't mention that +FORMAT is allowed.

Thanks!

Nicolas

Message #8 received at 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>, 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79113: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and
 behaviour
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 17:07:24 +0100

tag 79113 notabug
close 79113
stop

On 28/07/2025 15:44, Nicolas Boichat wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Version: env du --version => du (GNU coreutils) 9.7
> OS: archlinux, x86-64
> 
> The GNU coreutils manual says
> (https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#index-_002d_002dtime_002dstyle-1):
> - "You can specify the default value of the --time-style option with
> the environment variable TIME_STYLE; if TIME_STYLE is not set the
> default style is ‘long-iso’." -> yes
> - "For compatibility with ls, if TIME_STYLE begins with ‘+’ and
> contains a newline, the newline and any later characters are ignored;"

Copying the full docs for this from the texinfo:

  "You can specify the default value of the @option{--time-style} option
  with the environment variable @env{TIME_STYLE}; if @env{TIME_STYLE} is not set
  the default style is @samp{long-iso}.  For compatibility with @command{ls},
  if @env{TIME_STYLE} begins with @samp{+} and contains a newline,
  the newline and any later characters are ignored; if @env{TIME_STYLE}
  begins with @samp{posix-} the @samp{posix-} is ignored; and if
  @env{TIME_STYLE} is @samp{locale} it is ignored."

That quite clearly states the above compat handling
is for the TIME_STYLE env var, and not the --time-style option itself.

> 
> That does not match behaviour, newlines are just used as-is:
> ```
> $ env du --time --time-style="$(printf "+xyz\nabc")" blob
> 96 xyz
> abc blob
> ```

> Finally, the help text doesn't mention that +FORMAT is allowed.

Copying from the texinfo again:

  "List timestamps using @var{format}, where @var{format} is interpreted
  like the format argument of @command{date} (@pxref{date invocation}).
  For example, @option{--time-style="+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"} causes
  @command{du} to list timestamps like @samp{2020-07-21 23:45:56}.  As
  with @command{date}, @var{format}'s interpretation is affected by the
  @env{LC_TIME} locale category."

thanks,
Padraig

Message #11 received at 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigbrady.com>
Cc: 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79113: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and
 behaviour
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2025 01:49:49 +0800

On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 00:07, Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigbrady.com> wrote:
>
> tag 79113 notabug
> close 79113
> stop
>
> On 28/07/2025 15:44, Nicolas Boichat wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > Version: env du --version => du (GNU coreutils) 9.7
> > OS: archlinux, x86-64
> >
> > The GNU coreutils manual says
> > (https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#index-_002d_002dtime_002dstyle-1):
> > - "You can specify the default value of the --time-style option with
> > the environment variable TIME_STYLE; if TIME_STYLE is not set the
> > default style is ‘long-iso’." -> yes
> > - "For compatibility with ls, if TIME_STYLE begins with ‘+’ and
> > contains a newline, the newline and any later characters are ignored;"
>
> Copying the full docs for this from the texinfo:
>
>    "You can specify the default value of the @option{--time-style} option
>    with the environment variable @env{TIME_STYLE}; if @env{TIME_STYLE} is not set
>    the default style is @samp{long-iso}.  For compatibility with @command{ls},
>    if @env{TIME_STYLE} begins with @samp{+} and contains a newline,
>    the newline and any later characters are ignored; if @env{TIME_STYLE}
>    begins with @samp{posix-} the @samp{posix-} is ignored; and if
>    @env{TIME_STYLE} is @samp{locale} it is ignored."
>
> That quite clearly states the above compat handling
> is for the TIME_STYLE env var, and not the --time-style option itself.

Oh, thanks, I obviously misread that and the intent. Makes sense, thanks.

> >
> > That does not match behaviour, newlines are just used as-is:
> > ```
> > $ env du --time --time-style="$(printf "+xyz\nabc")" blob
> > 96 xyz
> > abc blob
> > ```
>
> > Finally, the help text doesn't mention that +FORMAT is allowed.
>
> Copying from the texinfo again:

I could have been clearer for this last one, I mean that the command
line error text for `du` could mention that +FORMAT is supported:

Comparing du and ls output with a bad timestyle:
```
$ du --time --time-style=xyz blob
du: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
Valid arguments are:
  - ‘full-iso’
  - ‘long-iso’
  - ‘iso’
>>>>> it would be nice to add `- +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format` here
Try 'du --help' for more information.
$ ls -l --time-style=xyz blob
ls: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
Valid arguments are:
  - [posix-]full-iso
  - [posix-]long-iso
  - [posix-]iso
  - [posix-]locale
  - +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format
Try 'ls --help' for more information.
```

Thanks,

Message #14 received at 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>
Cc: 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79113: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and
 behaviour
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:13:21 +0100

On 28/07/2025 18:49, Nicolas Boichat wrote:
> I could have been clearer for this last one, I mean that the command
> line error text for `du` could mention that +FORMAT is supported:
> 
> Comparing du and ls output with a bad timestyle:
> ```
> $ du --time --time-style=xyz blob
> du: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
> Valid arguments are:
>    - ‘full-iso’
>    - ‘long-iso’
>    - ‘iso’
>>>>>> it would be nice to add `- +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format` here
> Try 'du --help' for more information.
> $ ls -l --time-style=xyz blob
> ls: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
> Valid arguments are:
>    - [posix-]full-iso
>    - [posix-]long-iso
>    - [posix-]iso
>    - [posix-]locale
>    - +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format
> Try 'ls --help' for more information.
> ```

Oh right.
I'll refactor the code that prints the ls and du errors in this case.

cheers,
Padraig

Message #17 received at 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>
Cc: 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79113: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and
 behaviour
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:11:58 +0100

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On 28/07/2025 20:13, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> On 28/07/2025 18:49, Nicolas Boichat wrote:
>> I could have been clearer for this last one, I mean that the command
>> line error text for `du` could mention that +FORMAT is supported:
>>
>> Comparing du and ls output with a bad timestyle:
>> ```
>> $ du --time --time-style=xyz blob
>> du: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
>> Valid arguments are:
>>     - ‘full-iso’
>>     - ‘long-iso’
>>     - ‘iso’
>>>>>>> it would be nice to add `- +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format` here
>> Try 'du --help' for more information.
>> $ ls -l --time-style=xyz blob
>> ls: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
>> Valid arguments are:
>>     - [posix-]full-iso
>>     - [posix-]long-iso
>>     - [posix-]iso
>>     - [posix-]locale
>>     - +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format
>> Try 'ls --help' for more information.
>> ```
> 
> Oh right.
> I'll refactor the code that prints the ls and du errors in this case.
> 

Will push the attached later.

cheers,
Padraig

[du-time-style-diags.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

Message #20 received at 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Nicolas Boichat <nicolas <at> boichat.ch>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigbrady.com>
Cc: 79113 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#79113: du --time-styles inconsistencies between manual and
 behaviour
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2025 11:53:08 +0800

On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 06:12, Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigbrady.com> wrote:
>
> On 28/07/2025 20:13, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> > On 28/07/2025 18:49, Nicolas Boichat wrote:
> >> I could have been clearer for this last one, I mean that the command
> >> line error text for `du` could mention that +FORMAT is supported:
> >>
> >> Comparing du and ls output with a bad timestyle:
> >> ```
> >> $ du --time --time-style=xyz blob
> >> du: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
> >> Valid arguments are:
> >>     - ‘full-iso’
> >>     - ‘long-iso’
> >>     - ‘iso’
> >>>>>>> it would be nice to add `- +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format` here
> >> Try 'du --help' for more information.
> >> $ ls -l --time-style=xyz blob
> >> ls: invalid argument ‘xyz’ for ‘time style’
> >> Valid arguments are:
> >>     - [posix-]full-iso
> >>     - [posix-]long-iso
> >>     - [posix-]iso
> >>     - [posix-]locale
> >>     - +FORMAT (e.g., +%H:%M) for a 'date'-style format
> >> Try 'ls --help' for more information.
> >> ```
> >
> > Oh right.
> > I'll refactor the code that prints the ls and du errors in this case.
> >
>
> Will push the attached later.

Thanks!

>
> cheers,
> Padraig

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