Re: [Boost-users] [Boost.DateTime] Error in documentation?

From: Paul Giaccone (paulg_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-04-16 06:32:26

johneddy101_at_[hidden] wrote:

> The description of the time_duration::ticks_per_second method reads:
>  
> "Return the number of ticks in a second. For example, if the duration 
> supports nanoseconds then the returned result will be 1000000."
>  
> Shouldn't it be 1000000000 or change nano to micro?
>  
> Found at: 
> http://www.boost.org/doc/html/date_time/posix_time.html#date_time.posix_time.time_duration
>  
> and in cvs at:
> http://boost.cvs.sourceforge.net/boost/boost/libs/date_time/xmldoc/time_duration.xml?revision=1.12&view=markup 
> <http://boost.cvs.sourceforge.net/boost/boost/libs/date_time/xmldoc/time_duration.xml?revision=1.12&view=markup>

Could the figure be made clearer too, so the user doesn't have to count 
the zeros? Something like one of the following (assuming the correct 
figure is 1000000000; change as necessary if 1000000 is the correct figure):

"... the returned result will be 1000000000 (that is, 10^9)" [1]
"... the returned result will be 1000000000 (that is, 1E+9)" [2]
"... the returned result will be 1,000,000,000" [3]
"... the returned result will be 1000000000 (one thousand million)" [4]

[1] Is the caret universally recognised as the symbol for exponentation?
[2] Probably the best option, as all Boost users will understand this 
notation.
[3] But this could be misunderstood by readers in continental Europe, 
where the comma is used as a decimal point.
[4] Prefer this to "one billion", which can be ambiguous: UK usage tends 
to follow US usage these days and use "billion" for 10^9, although some 
still stick to 10^12; "one thousand million" avoids any problems.