Re: lib/41894: [dM] printw return value wrong

[der Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR lib/41894; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: der Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: lib/41894: [dM] printw return value wrong
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 01:09:06 -0400 (EDT)

 >>  - either the RETURN VALUES section needs updating or the
 >>  description needs to note that the return value is not an aspect of
 >>  printf's interface which is carried over to printw's.
 > This is a doc bug - the phrase "the same as" should be changed to
 > "similar to" which is a synonym for the SUSv2 wording of "analogous"
 
 I'd actually prefer to see the return value specifically called out as
 different.  "Similar to" wouldn't be enough to have prevented the
 mistake that led me to trip over this; after all, printw's interface
 can't be _totally_ the same as printf's, or it would _be_ printf.  I'd
 still read "printw's interface is similar to printf's" as "in the
 respects that don't have to differ (because it's printing to a curses
 window rather than a stdio stream), printw is identical to printf",
 which it isn't.
 
 If you want strawman wording, I'll propose
 
        The printw() function formats and prints its arguments on
        stdscr.  The interface is deliberately similar to printf(3)'s
        (but, notably, the return value differs).
 
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