doc: Improve the monotonic time module and function documentation

Explain what "monotonic" actually means, and document some results that
have surprised people.

Fixes bug 29640; bugfix on 0.2.9.1-alpha.

1 files changed, 48 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/src/lib/time/compat_time.h b/src/lib/time/compat_time.h
index 2cd4b3bee3..360d92e5c9 100644
--- a/src/lib/time/compat_time.h
+++ b/src/lib/time/compat_time.h
@@ -15,11 +15,29 @@
  * of tens of milliseconds.
  */
 
-/* Q: Should you use monotime or monotime_coarse as your source?
+/* Q: When should I use monotonic time?
+ *
+ * A: If you need a time that never decreases, use monotonic time. If you need
+ * to send a time to a user or another process, or store a time, use the
+ * wall-clock time.
+ *
+ * Q: Should you use monotime or monotime_coarse as your source?
  *
  * A: Generally, you get better precision with monotime, but better
  * performance with monotime_coarse.
  *
+ * Q: What is a "monotonic" time, exactly?
+ *
+ * A: Monotonic times are strictly non-decreasing. The difference between any
+ * previous monotonic time, and the current monotonic time, is always greater
+ * than *or equal to* zero.
+ * Zero deltas happen more often:
+ *  - on Windows (due to an OS bug),
+ *  - when using monotime_coarse, or on systems with low-resolution timers,
+ *  - on platforms where we emulate monotonic time using wall-clock time, and
+ *  - when using time units that are larger than nanoseconds (due to
+ *    truncation on division).
+ *
  * Q: Should you use monotime_t or monotime_coarse_t directly? Should you use
  *    usec? msec? "stamp units?"
  *
@@ -95,7 +113,7 @@
  * All, "timestamp units": Cheap everywhere: it never divides.
  *
  * Q: This is only somewhat related, but how much precision could I hope for
- *    from a libevent time.?
+ *    from a libevent time?
  *
  * A: Actually, it's _very_ related if you're timing in order to have a
  * timeout happen.
@@ -182,26 +200,36 @@ void monotime_init(void);
 void monotime_get(monotime_t *out);
 /**
  * Return the number of nanoseconds between <b>start</b> and <b>end</b>.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
  */
 int64_t monotime_diff_nsec(const monotime_t *start, const monotime_t *end);
 /**
  * Return the number of microseconds between <b>start</b> and <b>end</b>.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 int64_t monotime_diff_usec(const monotime_t *start, const monotime_t *end);
 /**
  * Return the number of milliseconds between <b>start</b> and <b>end</b>.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 int64_t monotime_diff_msec(const monotime_t *start, const monotime_t *end);
 /**
  * Return the number of nanoseconds since the timer system was initialized.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
  */
 uint64_t monotime_absolute_nsec(void);
 /**
  * Return the number of microseconds since the timer system was initialized.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 MOCK_DECL(uint64_t, monotime_absolute_usec,(void));
 /**
  * Return the number of milliseconds since the timer system was initialized.
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 uint64_t monotime_absolute_msec(void);
 
@@ -225,6 +253,9 @@ void monotime_add_msec(monotime_t *out, const monotime_t *val, uint32_t msec);
  * Set <b>out</b> to the current coarse time.
  */
 void monotime_coarse_get(monotime_coarse_t *out);
+/**
+ * Like monotime_absolute_*(), but faster on some platforms.
+ */
 uint64_t monotime_coarse_absolute_nsec(void);
 uint64_t monotime_coarse_absolute_usec(void);
 uint64_t monotime_coarse_absolute_msec(void);
@@ -248,18 +279,27 @@ uint32_t monotime_coarse_to_stamp(const monotime_coarse_t *t);
 /**
  * Convert a difference, expressed in the units of monotime_coarse_to_stamp,
  * into an approximate number of milliseconds.
+ *
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 uint64_t monotime_coarse_stamp_units_to_approx_msec(uint64_t units);
 uint64_t monotime_msec_to_approx_coarse_stamp_units(uint64_t msec);
 uint32_t monotime_coarse_get_stamp(void);
 
 #if defined(MONOTIME_COARSE_TYPE_IS_DIFFERENT)
+/**
+ * Like monotime_diff_*(), but faster on some platforms.
+ */
 int64_t monotime_coarse_diff_nsec(const monotime_coarse_t *start,
     const monotime_coarse_t *end);
 int64_t monotime_coarse_diff_usec(const monotime_coarse_t *start,
     const monotime_coarse_t *end);
 int64_t monotime_coarse_diff_msec(const monotime_coarse_t *start,
     const monotime_coarse_t *end);
+/**
+ * Like monotime_*(), but faster on some platforms.
+ */
 void monotime_coarse_zero(monotime_coarse_t *out);
 int monotime_coarse_is_zero(const monotime_coarse_t *val);
 void monotime_coarse_add_msec(monotime_coarse_t *out,
@@ -278,6 +318,9 @@ void monotime_coarse_add_msec(monotime_coarse_t *out,
  *
  * Requires that the difference fit into an int32_t; not for use with
  * large time differences.
+ *
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 int32_t monotime_coarse_diff_msec32_(const monotime_coarse_t *start,
                                      const monotime_coarse_t *end);
@@ -287,6 +330,9 @@ int32_t monotime_coarse_diff_msec32_(const monotime_coarse_t *start,
  *
  * Requires that the difference fit into an int32_t; not for use with
  * large time differences.
+ *
+ * The returned value may be equal to zero.
+ * Fractional units are truncated, not rounded.
  */
 static inline int32_t
 monotime_coarse_diff_msec32(const monotime_coarse_t *start,