diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'docs')
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/style-guide.txt | 133 |
1 files changed, 79 insertions, 54 deletions
diff --git a/docs/style-guide.txt b/docs/style-guide.txt index ba0cdba..5bb3441 100644 --- a/docs/style-guide.txt +++ b/docs/style-guide.txt @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ in the directory, just your own. Declaration Order ----------------- -Here is the order in which code should be laid out in a file: +Here is the preferred order in which code should be laid out in a file: - commented program name and one-line description - commented author name and email address(es) @@ -126,14 +126,15 @@ between it and the opening control block statement. Examples: do { -Exceptions: - - - if you have long logic statements that need to be wrapped, then uncuddling - the bracket to improve readability is allowed: +If you have long logic statements that need to be wrapped, then uncuddling +the bracket to improve readability is allowed. Generally, this style makes +it easier for reader to notice that 2nd and following lines are still +inside 'if': - if (some_really_long_checks && some_other_really_long_checks \ - && some_more_really_long_checks) - { + if (some_really_long_checks && some_other_really_long_checks + && some_more_really_long_checks + && even_more_of_long_checks + ) { do_foo_now; Spacing around Parentheses @@ -208,6 +209,23 @@ block. Example: } +Labels +~~~~~~ + +Labels should start at the beginning of the line, not indented to the block +level (because they do not "belong" to block scope, only to whole function). + + if (foo) { + stmt; + label: + stmt2; + stmt; + } + +(Putting label at position 1 prevents diff -p from confusing label for function +name, but it's not a policy of busybox project to enforce such a minor detail). + + Variable and Function Names --------------------------- @@ -234,7 +252,7 @@ because it looks like whitespace; using lower-case is easy on the eyes. Exceptions: - Enums, macros, and constant variables are occasionally written in all - upper-case with words optionally seperatedy by underscores (i.e. FIFOTYPE, + upper-case with words optionally seperatedy by underscores (i.e. FIFO_TYPE, ISBLKDEV()). - Nobody is going to get mad at you for using 'pvar' as the name of a @@ -299,22 +317,21 @@ Use 'const <type> var' for declaring constants. Don't do this: - #define var 80 + #define CONST 80 Do this instead, when the variable is in a header file and will be used in several source files: - const int var = 80; - - Or do this when the variable is used only in a single source file: - - static const int var = 80; + enum { CONST = 80 }; -Declaring variables as '[static] const' gives variables an actual type and -makes the compiler do type checking for you; the preprocessor does _no_ type -checking whatsoever, making it much more error prone. Declaring variables with -'[static] const' also makes debugging programs much easier since the value of -the variable can be easily queried and displayed. +Although enum may look ugly to some people, it is better for code size. +With "const int" compiler may fail to optimize it out and will reserve +a real storage in rodata for it! (Hopefully, newer gcc will get better +at it...). With "define", you have slight risk of polluting namespace +(#define doesn't allow you to redefine the name in the inner scopes), +and complex "define" are evaluated each time they uesd, not once +at declarations like enums. Also, the preprocessor does _no_ type checking +whatsoever, making it much more error prone. The Folly of Macros @@ -432,15 +449,16 @@ Unfortunately, the way C handles strings makes them prone to overruns when certain library functions are (mis)used. The following table offers a summary of some of the more notorious troublemakers: -function overflows preferred ----------------------------------------- -strcpy dest string strncpy -strcat dest string strncat -gets string it gets fgets -getwd buf string getcwd -[v]sprintf str buffer [v]snprintf -realpath path buffer use with pathconf -[vf]scanf its arguments just avoid it +function overflows preferred +------------------------------------------------- +strcpy dest string safe_strncpy +strncpy may fail to 0-terminate dst safe_strncpy +strcat dest string strncat +gets string it gets fgets +getwd buf string getcwd +[v]sprintf str buffer [v]snprintf +realpath path buffer use with pathconf +[vf]scanf its arguments just avoid it The above is by no means a complete list. Be careful out there. @@ -450,7 +468,7 @@ The above is by no means a complete list. Be careful out there. Avoid Big Static Buffers ------------------------ -First, some background to put this discussion in context: Static buffers look +First, some background to put this discussion in context: static buffers look like this in code: /* in a .c file outside any functions */ @@ -500,6 +518,9 @@ between xmalloc() and stack creation, so you can code the line in question as and the right thing will happen, based on your configuration. +Another relatively new trick of similar nature is explained +in keep_data_small.txt. + Miscellaneous Coding Guidelines @@ -527,7 +548,7 @@ The only time we deviate from emulating the GNU behavior is when: would be required, lots more memory would be used, etc.) - The difference is minor or cosmetic -A note on the 'cosmetic' case: Output differences might be considered +A note on the 'cosmetic' case: output differences might be considered cosmetic, but if the output is significant enough to break other scripts that use the output, it should really be fixed. @@ -577,7 +598,7 @@ like this: if (foo) stmt1; new_line(); - stmt2 + stmt2; stmt3; And the resulting behavior of your program would totally bewilder you. (Don't @@ -625,7 +646,7 @@ comment too much as well as too little. A picture is really worth a thousand words here, the following example illustrates how to emphasize logical blocks: - while (line = get_line_from_file(fp)) { + while (line = xmalloc_fgets(fp)) { /* eat the newline, if any */ chomp(line); @@ -649,31 +670,38 @@ illustrates how to emphasize logical blocks: Processing Options with getopt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -If your applet needs to process command-line switches, please use getopt() to +If your applet needs to process command-line switches, please use getopt32() to do so. Numerous examples can be seen in many of the existing applets, but basically it boils down to two things: at the top of the .c file, have this -line in the midst of your #includes: +line in the midst of your #includes, if you need to parse long options: #include <getopt.h> +Then have long options defined: + + static const struct option <applet>_long_options[] = { + { "list", 0, NULL, 't' }, + { "extract", 0, NULL, 'x' }, + { NULL } + }; + And a code block similar to the following near the top of your applet_main() routine: - while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "abc")) > 0) { - switch (opt) { - case 'a': - do_a_opt = 1; - break; - case 'b': - do_b_opt = 1; - break; - case 'c': - do_c_opt = 1; - break; - default: - show_usage(); /* in utility.c */ - } - } + char *str_b; + + opt_complementary = "cryptic_string"; + applet_long_options = <applet>_long_options; /* if you have them */ + opt = getopt32(argc, argv, "ab:c", &str_b); + if (opt & 1) { + handle_option_a(); + } + if (opt & 2) { + handle_option_b(str_b); + } + if (opt & 4) { + handle_option_c(); + } If your applet takes no options (such as 'init'), there should be a line somewhere in the file reads: @@ -683,7 +711,4 @@ somewhere in the file reads: That way, when people go grepping to see which applets need to be converted to use getopt, they won't get false positives. -Additional Note: Do not use the getopt_long library function and do not try to -hand-roll your own long option parsing. Busybox applets should only support -short options. Explanations and examples of the short options should be -documented in usage.h. +For more info and examples, examine getopt32.c, tar.c, wget.c etc. |