Re: Bug#363011: Improve the man pages of --date=STRING for 'date' and 'touch'.

[Jim Meyering]

"A. Costa" <address@hidden> wrote:

> On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:39:34 -0700
> address@hidden (Bob Proulx) wrote:
>
>> In an attempt to improve the 'date' and 'touch' man pages here is a
>> proposal for a concise description of --date=STRING.
>
> A successful attempt that's quite helpful.  For the record for us
> 'pinfo' fans:
>
>       pinfo coreutils --node="date invocation"
>
> On the 'man touch' patch, a few minor notes; optional; maybe too
> "expensive" to pursue at present (spelling=easy;grammar=seldom so):
>
>>  touch \- change file timestamps
>>  [DESCRIPTION]
>>  .\" Add any additional description here
>> +[DATE STRING]
>> +The --date=STRING is a mostly free format human readable date string
>> +such as "Sun, 29 Feb 2004 16:21:42 -0800" or "2004-02-29 16:21:42" or
>> +even "next Thursday".  If empty the string indicates the beginning of
>> +the day.  The string may contain calendar date items, time of day
>> +items, time zone items, day of week items, relative items, and pure
>> +numbers.  The date string format is more complex than is easily
>> +documented here but is fully described in the info documentation.
>
> 1) Sentence #3 ("The string may contain...") might go before #2, ("If 
> empty...").
>
> 2) Suggest 's/If empty the/An empty/'.  Less to think of.
>
> 3) Are five instances of the plural noun "items" necessary?  The
>    plural doesn't make logical sense for one-shot items, e.g. "may
>    contain ... day of week itemS?", but the 'touch' date string
>    contains at most one day.

Good suggestions.
Would you mind sending a patch?