Re: [PATCH 3/3] utils: Deprecate inexact fractional suffix sizes

["Daniel P. Berrangé" <berrange@redhat.com>]

On Fri, Feb 05, 2021 at 08:28:31AM -0600, Eric Blake wrote:
> On 2/5/21 5:10 AM, Daniel P. Berrangé wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 04, 2021 at 01:07:08PM -0600, Eric Blake wrote:
> >> The value '1.1k' is inexact; 1126.4 bytes is not possible, so we
> >> happen to truncate it to 1126.  Our use of fractional sizes is
> >> intended for convenience, but when a user specifies a fraction that is
> >> not a clean translation to binary, truncating/rounding behind their
> >> backs can cause confusion.  Better is to deprecate inexact values,
> >> which still leaves '1.5k' as valid, but alerts the user to spell out
> >> their values as a precise byte number in cases where they are
> >> currently being rounded.
> > 
> > I don't think we should be deprecating this, as I think it makes
> > it very user hostile.  Users who require exact answers, won't be
> > using fractional syntax in the first place. IOW, by using fractional
> > syntax you've decided that approximation is acceptable. Given that,
> > I should not have to worry about whether or not the fraction I'm
> > using is exact or truncated. It is horrible usability to say that
> > "1.1k" is invalid, while "1.5k" is valid - both are valid from my
> > POV as a user of this.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> Note that values like '0.1G' in the testsuite need adjustment as a
> >> result.
> >>
> >> Sadly, since qemu_strtosz() does not have an Err** parameter, we
> >> pollute to stderr.
> > 
> > This is only an warning, so setting an Err ** would not be appropriate
> > right now.
> > 
> > None the less we should add an Err **, because many of the callers
> > want an Err ** object populated, or use error_report().
> 
> That is more effort.  What's the consensus - is it important enough that
> I should spend that effort getting rid of technical debt by adding
> versions of qemu_strto* that take Err** at this point in time?

To be clear, I'm not requesting that you make it use Err** right now.

I just raise it as an idea for future technical debt removal.

Regards,
Daniel
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