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From: Michael Haggerty <mhagger@alum•mit.edu>
To: Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail•com>
Cc: "Junio C Hamano" <gitster@pobox•com>,
	"Johannes Sixt" <j6t@kdbg•org>,
	"Torsten Bögershausen" <tboegi@web•de>,
	"Jeff King" <peff@peff•net>,
	"Ronnie Sahlberg" <sahlberg@google•com>,
	git@vger•kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH v5 02/35] api-lockfile: expand the documentation
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:13:39 +0200	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <54202E93.4050707@alum.mit.edu> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20140916202525.GB29050@google.com>

On 09/16/2014 10:25 PM, Jonathan Nieder wrote:
> Michael Haggerty wrote:
> 
>> Document a couple more functions and the flags argument as used by
>> hold_lock_file_for_update() and hold_lock_file_for_append().
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> [...]
>> --- a/Documentation/technical/api-lockfile.txt
>> +++ b/Documentation/technical/api-lockfile.txt
>> @@ -28,9 +28,39 @@ hold_lock_file_for_update::
>>  	the final destination (e.g. `$GIT_DIR/index`) and a flag
>>  	`die_on_error`.  Attempt to create a lockfile for the
>>  	destination and return the file descriptor for writing
>> -	to the file.  If `die_on_error` flag is true, it dies if
>> -	a lock is already taken for the file; otherwise it
>> -	returns a negative integer to the caller on failure.
>> +	to the file.  The flags parameter is a combination of
>> ++
>> +--
> 
> Context: this document has structure
> 
> 	lockfile API
> 	============
> 
> 	Explanation of purpose (nice!).
> 
> 	The functions
> 	-------------
> 
> 	Quick descriptions of each of the four functions
> 	`hold_lock_file_for_update`, `commit_lock_file`,
> 	`rollback_lock_file`, `close_lock_file`.
> 
> 	Reminder about lifetime of the lock_file structure.
> 
> 	Description of cleanup convention (thou shalt either
> 	commit or roll back; if you forget to, the atexit
> 	handler will roll back for you).
> 
> 	Long warning about the harder use cases.  The above
> 	"thou shalt" was a lie --- you can also
> 	close_lock_file if you know what you're doing
> 	[jn: why is that function part of the public API?].
> 
> What's nice about the existing structure is that you can get
> a sense of how to use the API at a glance.  Would there be a
> way to add this extra information while preserving that property?
> 
> E.g.:
> 
> 	lockfile API
> 	============
> 
> 	Nice brief explanation of purpose ("is this the API
> 	I want to use?"), as before.
> 
> 	Calling sequence
> 	----------------
> 
> 	The caller:
> 
> 	* Allocates a variable `struct lock_file lock` in the bss
> 	section or heap.  Because the `lock_file` structure is used
> 	in an `atexit(3)` handler, its storage has to stay
> 	throughout the life of the program.  It cannot be an auto
> 	variable allocated on the stack.
> 
> 	* Attempts to create a lockfile by passing that variable and
> 	the filename of the final destination (e.g. `$GIT_DIR/index`)
> 	to `hold_lock_file_for_update` or `hold_lock_file_for_append`.
> 	+
> 	If the `die_on_error` flag is true, git dies if a lock is
> 	already taken for the file.
> 
> 	* Writes new content for the destination file by writing to
> 	`lock->fd`.
> 
> 	When finished writing, the caller can:
> 
> 	* Close the file descriptor and rename the lockfile to
> 	its final destination by calling `commit_lock_file`.
> 
> 	* Close the file descriptor and remove the lockfile by
> 	calling `rollback_lock_file`.
> 
> 	* Close the file descriptor without removing or renaming
> 	the lockfile by calling `close_lock_file`.
> 
> 	If you do not call one of `commit_lock_file`,
> 	`rollback_lock_file`, and `close_lock_file` and instead
> 	simply `exit(3)` from the program, an `atexit(3)` handler will
> 	close and remove the lockfile.
> 
> 	You should never call `close(2)` on `lock->fd` yourself~
> 	Otherwise the ...
> 
> 	Error handling
> 	--------------
> 
> 	Functions return 0 on success, -1 on failure.  errno is?
> 	isn't? meaningful on error.
> 
> 	... description of unable_to_lock_error and unable_to_lock_die
> 	here ...
> 
> 	Flags
> 	-----
> 
> 	LOCK_NODEREF::
> 
> 		Usually symbolic links in the destination path are
> 		resolved and the lockfile is created by adding ".lock"
> 		to the resolved path.  If `LOCK_NODEREF` is set, then
> 		the lockfile is created by adding ".lock" to the path
> 		argument itself.
> 
> What is the user-visible effect of that flag?  When would I want
> to pass that flag, and when wouldn't I?
> 
> 	LOCK_DIE_ON_ERROR::
> 
> 		If a lock is already taken for the file, `die()` with
> 		an error message.  If this option is not specified,
> 		trying to hold a lock file that is already taken will
> 		return -1 to the caller.
> 
> Sensible?
> Jonathan

OK, in the next reroll I will revise the documentation pretty
thoroughly. Please let me know what you think.

Michael

-- 
Michael Haggerty
mhagger@alum•mit.edu

  reply	other threads:[~2014-09-22 14:13 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 73+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2014-09-16 19:33 [PATCH v5 00/35] Lockfile correctness and refactoring Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 01/35] unable_to_lock_die(): rename function from unable_to_lock_index_die() Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:52   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 02/35] api-lockfile: expand the documentation Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:25   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-22 14:13     ` Michael Haggerty [this message]
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 03/35] rollback_lock_file(): do not clear filename redundantly Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:37   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 04/35] rollback_lock_file(): exit early if lock is not active Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:38   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 05/35] rollback_lock_file(): set fd to -1 Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:38   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 20:39     ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-17 15:02       ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 06/35] lockfile: unlock file if lockfile permissions cannot be adjusted Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:42   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 07/35] hold_lock_file_for_append(): release lock on errors Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:48   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-17 15:39     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 08/35] lock_file(): always add lock_file object to lock_file_list Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 20:57   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-17 16:10     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-18  4:32   ` Torsten Bögershausen
2014-09-18  7:47     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 09/35] lockfile.c: document the various states of lock_file objects Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 21:03   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-22 15:20     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-22 22:34       ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 10/35] cache.h: define constants LOCK_SUFFIX and LOCK_SUFFIX_LEN Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 21:05   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-22 15:25     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 11/35] delete_ref_loose(): don't muck around in the lock_file's filename Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 21:11   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 12/35] prepare_index(): declare return value to be (const char *) Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 21:17   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 13/35] write_packed_entry_fn(): convert cb_data into a (const int *) Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 14/35] lock_file(): exit early if lockfile cannot be opened Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:12   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 15/35] remove_lock_file(): call rollback_lock_file() Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:13   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 16/35] commit_lock_file(): inline temporary variable Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:16   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 17/35] commit_lock_file(): die() if called for unlocked lockfile object Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:17   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 18/35] commit_lock_file(): if close fails, roll back Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:19   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-23 11:30     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 19/35] commit_lock_file(): rollback lock file on failure to rename Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:22   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-23 11:57     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 20/35] api-lockfile: document edge cases Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:23   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-23 12:56     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 21/35] dump_marks(): remove a redundant call to rollback_lock_file() Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:24   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 22/35] git_config_set_multivar_in_file(): avoid " Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:28   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-23 13:08     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 23/35] lockfile: avoid transitory invalid states Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 22:45   ` Jonathan Nieder
2014-09-23 13:40     ` Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 24/35] struct lock_file: declare some fields volatile Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 25/35] try_merge_strategy(): remove redundant lock_file allocation Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 26/35] try_merge_strategy(): use a statically-allocated lock_file object Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 27/35] commit_lock_file(): use a strbuf to manage temporary space Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 28/35] Change lock_file::filename into a strbuf Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 29/35] resolve_symlink(): use a strbuf for internal scratch space Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 30/35] resolve_symlink(): take a strbuf parameter Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 31/35] trim_last_path_component(): replace last_path_elm() Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 32/35] Extract a function commit_lock_file_to() Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 33/35] Rename LOCK_NODEREF to LOCK_NO_DEREF Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 34/35] lockfile.c: rename static functions Michael Haggerty
2014-09-16 19:33 ` [PATCH v5 35/35] get_locked_file_path(): new function Michael Haggerty

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