CODING_STYLE: document "reterr_" return parameters

In some recent PRs (e.g. #32628) I started to systematically name return
parameters that shall only be initialized on failure (because they carry
additional error meta information, such as the line/column number of
parse failures or so). Let's make this official in the coding style.
This commit is contained in:
Lennart Poettering 2024-06-12 18:31:56 +02:00
parent c01ab8ffbc
commit 7811864b08

View file

@ -164,30 +164,64 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
thread. Use `is_main_thread()` to detect whether the calling thread is the
main thread.
- Do not write functions that clobber call-by-reference variables on
failure. Use temporary variables for these cases and change the passed in
variables only on success. The rule is: never clobber return parameters on
failure, always initialize return parameters on success.
- Typically, function parameters fit into four categories: input parameters,
mutable objects, call-by-reference return parameters that are initialized on
success, and call-by-reference return parameters that are initialized on
failure. Input parameters should always carry suitable `const` declarators if
they are pointers, to indicate they are input-only and not changed by the
function. The name of return parameters that are initialized on success
should be prefixed with `ret_`, to clarify they are return parameters. The
name of return parameters that are initialized on failure should be prefixed
with `reterr_`. (Examples of such parameters: those which carry additional
error information, such as the row/column of parse errors or so).
Conversely, please do not prefix parameters that aren't output-only with
`ret_` or `reterr_`, in particular not mutable parameters that are both input
as well as output.
- Typically, function parameters fit into three categories: input parameters,
mutable objects, and call-by-reference return parameters. Input parameters
should always carry suitable "const" declarators if they are pointers, to
indicate they are input-only and not changed by the function. Return
parameters are best prefixed with "ret_", to clarify they are return
parameters. (Conversely, please do not prefix parameters that aren't
output-only with "ret_", in particular not mutable parameters that are both
input as well as output). Example:
Example:
```c
static int foobar_frobnicate(
Foobar* object, /* the associated mutable object */
const char *input, /* immutable input parameter */
char **ret_frobnicated) { /* return parameter */
char **ret_frobnicated, /* return parameter on success */
unsigned *reterr_line, /* return parameter on failure */
unsigned *reterr_column) { /* ditto */
return 0;
}
```
- Do not write functions that clobber call-by-reference success return
parameters on failure (i.e. `ret_xyz`, see above), or that clobber
call-by-reference failure return parameters on success
(i.e. `reterr_xyz`). Use temporary variables for these cases and change the
passed in variables only in the right condition. The rule is: never clobber
success return parameters on failure, always initialize success return
parameters on success (and the reverse for failure return parameters, of
course).
- Please put `reterr_` return parameters in the function parameter list last,
and `ret_` return parameters immediately before that.
Good:
```c
static int do_something(
const char *input,
const char *ret_on_success,
const char *reterr_on_failure);
```
Not good:
```c
static int do_something(
const char *reterr_on_failure,
const char *ret_on_success,
const char *input);
```
- The order in which header files are included doesn't matter too
much. systemd-internal headers must not rely on an include order, so it is
safe to include them in any order possible. However, to not clutter global