Re: [PATCH v3 1/1] strcpy.3: Rewrite page to document all string-copying functions

[Alejandro Colomar <alx.manpages@gmail.com>]

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Hi Doug!

Thanks for having a look at it!

On 12/14/22 17:22, Douglas McIlroy wrote:
>> a sequence of zero or more non-null characters followed by a null byte
> 
> Varying  terminology (character vs byte) is poor style in technical writing.

I thought of using null character, but it was longer, and I prefer shorter terms.

About using byte for everything... it feels a bit wrong especially when I'm 
trying to make a clear distinction between strings and character sequences that 
don't have a terminating NUL.

And, since the two are distinct things that should not be mixed (as far as 
strings are concerned), it doesn't feel so bad using different terms for them.

> 
>> concatenate
> 
> We began fighting this pomposity before v7. There has only been
> backsliding since..
> "Catenate" is crisper, means the same thing, and concurs with the "cat" command.
> I invite you to join the battle for simplicity.

Heh, I didn't know the word existed.  In Spanish we only have "concatenar". 
I'll happily join this battle for simplicity :)

> 
>> chain copy
> 
> This term is never overtly defined. The definition might be inferred
> from, "To chain copy
> functions, they need to return a pointer to the end", but the
> problematic grammar of the
> sentence diverts attention from its content.

Okay, I'll try to improve the wording in that paragraph; indeed that subsection 
intended to define the "chain copy" term.

> 
>> strscpy
> 
> Doesn't it muddy the waters to include a non-library function in man3?

Initially I wanted to discuss it because it always comes up in discussions about 
better string-copying functions.

But since I don't provide an implementation for it (since it's hard to get 
right) (as opposed to the other functions that are not in libraries, for which I 
show trivial implementations), and don't see it very useful, I can remove it. 
Less lines wasted with it.

Maybe I'll keep a small mention to it.

> 
> Doug

Cheers,

Alex

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