docs/94803: Slightly confusing/misleading man page for `ffs' function

[Ronald F.Guilmette]

>Number:         94803
>Category:       docs
>Synopsis:       Slightly confusing/misleading man page for `ffs' function
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    freebsd-doc
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   current-users
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Mar 21 18:20:14 GMT 2006
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Ronald F. Guilmette
>Release:        FreeBSD 4.10-RELEASE i386
>Organization:
Infinite Monkeys & Co. LLC
>Environment:
System: FreeBSD segfault.monkeys.com 4.10-RELEASE FreeBSD 4.10-RELEASE #0: Sun May 1 22:19:07 PDT 2005 rfg at segfault.monkeys.com:/usr/src/sys/compile/rfg20050501 i386


>Description:

The man page for the `ffs' C-library function says that the bits in the
argument integer are numbered (by ffs) ``starting from the rightmost bit''.

Unfortunately, ``rightmost'' is not an adequately descriptive term in this
case, especially given that for some architectures, what is commonly referred
to as the ``rightnost  bit'' may in fact be the HIGHEST ORDER bit in a given
integer.

>How-To-Repeat:

Look at the man page for ffs.

>Fix:

Change ``rightmost'' to ``lowest order''.
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted: