Subject: Re: [PATCH] powerpc: document new interrupt-array property

From: Segher Boessenkool <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:55:00 +0100

>>> we need something like interrupt-array.
>>
>> Again, the "interrupt-array" helps only this one specific
>> case, and not the general case *at all*.
>>
>
> Yes-- The interrupt-array helps only this specific case. But
> the question is, will this specific case be common in the
> future?

I hope (and think) not.  I can't predict the future though
and there is an approximately 100% chance some hardware will
duplicate this particular weirdness, of course.

> If this is a one-off situation it doesn't warrant a new
> general property.  However, if it becomes common enough
> a simpler representation will benefit developers.

Sure.  But in that case, it would be a lot better to
try to come up with something new that can handle the
general case (or many many more cases at least).

> There are
> developers who have a hard enough time figuring out the
> interrupt-map scheme, much less a logical interrupt nexus
> node.

Adding redundant ways of representing the interrupt
mapping that only apply to minority cases doesn't help
the confusion.  Either educate users how to do things,
come up with a more general more flexible framework,
or both.  Interface explosion only makes the situation
_worse_.

Segher