Subject: Re: [PATCH 1/6] Add docstrings for lookup_replace_object() and do_lookup_replace_object()

From: Michael Haggerty <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 09:25:02 +0100

On 02/21/2014 07:21 PM, Junio C Hamano wrote:
> Michael Haggerty <[email-masked]> writes:
> 
>> Signed-off-by: Michael Haggerty <[email-masked]>
>> ---
>>  cache.h | 16 ++++++++++++++++
>>  1 file changed, 16 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
>> index dc040fb..0ecd1c8 100644
>> --- a/cache.h
>> +++ b/cache.h
>> @@ -788,13 +788,29 @@ static inline void *read_sha1_file(const unsigned char *sha1, enum object_type *
>>  {
>>  	return read_sha1_file_extended(sha1, type, size, LOOKUP_REPLACE_OBJECT);
>>  }
>> +
>> +/*
>> + * If a replacement for object sha1 has been set up, return the
>> + * replacement object's name (replaced recursively, if necessary).
>> + * The return value is either sha1 or a pointer to a
>> + * permanently-allocated value.  This function always respects replace
>> + * references, regardless of the value of check_replace_refs.
>> + */
>>  extern const unsigned char *do_lookup_replace_object(const unsigned char *sha1);
>> +
>> +/*
>> + * If object sha1 should be replaced, return the replacement object's
>> + * name.  This function is similar to do_lookup_replace_object(),
>> + * except that it when object replacement is suppressed, it always
>> + * returns its argument unchanged.
>> + */
>>  static inline const unsigned char *lookup_replace_object(const unsigned char *sha1)
>>  {
>>  	if (!read_replace_refs)
>>  		return sha1;
>>  	return do_lookup_replace_object(sha1);
>>  }
>> +
>>  static inline const unsigned char *lookup_replace_object_extended(const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned flag)
>>  {
>>  	if (!(flag & LOOKUP_REPLACE_OBJECT))
> 
> The above description is good, but after reading e1111cef (inline
> lookup_replace_object() calls, 2011-05-15) that introduced this
> ugliness, I have to wonder if do_lookup_replace(), which nobody
> except lookup_replace_object() ever calls, is better removed from
> the public API, making lookup_replace_object() an extern definition.
> 
> We do name functions that are purely helpers that are internal
> implementation detals of the API as "do_blah", but exporting that
> kind of name as if that is part of the API people are expected to
> call feels very wrong.

I assume that the current design was to avoid the overhead of a function
call in the case that no replace references exist.  If we're willing to
eat that cost, then sure, we should bury do_lookup_replace_object() in
the implementation file.

Unless you say otherwise, I will work that change into my patch series.

Michael

-- 
Michael Haggerty
[email-masked]
http://softwareswirl.blogspot.com/