bugfindutils - Bugs: bug #49640, Refer to numeric arguments as...

 
 

bug #49640: Refer to numeric arguments as n|-n|+n or [-+]n instead of n in the manpages

Submitter:  Patrick M. <fuujuhi>
Submitted:  Fri 18 Nov 2016 06:39:15 AM UTC
   
 
Category:  documentation Severity:  3 - Normal
Item Group:  None Status:  Fixed
Privacy:  Public Assigned to:  jay
Originator Name:  Open/Closed:  Closed
Release:  4.6.0 Fixed Release:  4.8.0
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Sat 09 Jan 2021 03:36:28 PM UTC, comment #4: 

Looking back at this, I think this is now duplicate to
  https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?57025

I'm therefore closing this as such.

Bernhard Voelker <berny>
Group administrator
Wed 30 Nov 2016 05:14:14 AM UTC, comment #3: 

I have a patch which I will send tomorrow.

James Youngman <jay>
Group administrator
Sun 27 Nov 2016 05:17:55 PM UTC, comment #2: 

I agree about the value of the change.   For the as you say, extremely motivated there are also opportunities to clarify the sometimes-confusing rounding behaviours, too.

James Youngman <jay>
Group administrator
Fri 18 Nov 2016 02:54:59 PM UTC, comment #1: 

I heartily agree with this.  The Gnu man pages are generally extremely accurate, and this change (especially if it includes the text change) is a significant improvement.

Dale Worley <worley>
Fri 18 Nov 2016 06:39:15 AM UTC, original submission:  

Despites years of usage of find I still choke on the following subtlety of find numerical arguments, that 'n' means 'exactly n', whereas '+n' means 'greater than n' and '-n' means 'less than n'.

This is clearly stated at the start of the TESTS section, but for someone that would only cursorily read the manpage, like searching for 'mtime' directly, you might easily miss this information.

I suggest then to edit the manpage such that all numerical arguments are listed as n|-n|+n or [-+]n instead of simply n.

       -amin n
              File was last accessed n minutes ago.

would become

       -amin n|-n|+n
              File was last accessed n minutes ago.

or alternatively

       -amin [-+]n
              File was last accessed n minutes ago.


In case of extreme motivation, the text body could also be edited to replace 'n' by '(exactly/at least/at most) n' or something alike. But tmo changing the argument specification is already enough.

Patrick M. <fuujuhi>

 

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    Follow 5 latest changes.

    Date Changed by Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced by
    2021-01-09 berny StatusIn Progress Fixed
        Open/ClosedOpen Closed
        Fixed ReleaseNone 4.8.0
    2016-11-30 jay StatusNone In Progress
        Assigned toNone jay

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