Re: [PATCH] doc: du - clarify default blocksize in usage/manpage

[Jim Meyering]

Pádraig Brady wrote:

> Eric Blake wrote:
>> According to Pádraig Brady on 9/10/2009 6:29 AM:
>>> While this patch is more verbose than my previous patch
>>> in this thread, it is more accurate. So let's drop the
>>> previous one.
>>
>>> +      printf (_("\n\
>>> +If none of the environment variables BLOCKSIZE, BLOCK_SIZE or 
>>> %s_BLOCK_SIZE\n\
>>> +or --block-size option specify SIZE, display in units of 1024 bytes.\n\
>>> +(or 512 bytes if the POSIXLY_CORRECT environment variable is set)\n\
>>> +"), program);
>>
>> Grammar was awkward.  If we keep that wording, the final period should be
>> after the () comment, not before.  But what about a completely different
>> wording (wrapped as appropriate):
>>
>> Block size is the first available size from the --block-size option, the
>> %s_BLOCK_SIZE, BLOCK_SIZE, or BLOCKSIZE environment variables, and
>> defaults to 1024 bytes (or 512 bytes if POSIXLY_CORRECT is set).
>
> That doesn't actually say what "block size" controls though,
> nor does it suggest you can use SIZE format strings in the environment 
> variables.
>
> How about:

Good!

> Display values are in units of the first available SIZE from --block-size,
> and the %s_BLOCK_SIZE, BLOCK_SIZE, and BLOCKSIZE environment variables,
> and defaults to 1024 bytes (or 512 bytes if POSIXLY_CORRECT is set).

grammar purists (and line-shorteners ;-) would say
s/, and/ and/

Here's one more posssible wording:

Display values are in units of the first available SIZE from --block-size,
and the %s_BLOCK_SIZE, BLOCK_SIZE and BLOCKSIZE environment variables.
Otherwise, it defaults to 1024 bytes (or 512 bytes if POSIXLY_CORRECT is set).