[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Eliseo Martínez]

Hi, 

I discovered coccinelle some time ago, and I think it?s an amazing tool that can make a real difference.
Unfortunately, up until now, I?ve had to restrict myself to simple use cases, because existing documentation only scratches the surface.
You can see there are much more advanced things you could do, but for those you don?t find an explanation anywhere. You?re left with trial & error.
So, my question is: Are there plans to produce a book-style, really in-depth explanation of all coccinelle functionality?
I think that would be really necessary if you want bigger adoption/usage.

Now, a concrete question:
Suppose I?m introducing changes that make use of a function declared in ?header.h?.
How would I automatically insert includes for the header, only when it?s not already present?

Thanks, and keep up the hard work.
Eliseo Mart?nez.

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Julia Lawall]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I discovered coccinelle some time ago, and I think it?s an amazing tool that can make a real difference.
> Unfortunately, up until now, I?ve had to restrict myself to simple use cases, because existing documentation only scratches the surface.
> You can see there are much more advanced things you could do, but for those you don?t find an explanation anywhere. You?re left with trial & error.
> So, my question is: Are there plans to produce a book-style, really in-depth explanation of all coccinelle functionality?
> I think that would be really necessary if you want bigger adoption/usage.

It's not in our current plans.

> Now, a concrete question:
> Suppose I?m introducing changes that make use of a function declared in ?header.h?.
> How would I automatically insert includes for the header, only when it?s not already present?

Inserting includes is a little bit complicated, because everything has to
be attached to something.  You can try the following:

@r@
@@
#include <linux/kernel.h>

@depends on !r@
@@

#include <...>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>

julia

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Eliseo Martínez]

> On 20 Dec 2014, at 17:06, Julia Lawall <julia.lawall@lip6.fr> wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I discovered coccinelle some time ago, and I think it?s an amazing tool that can make a real difference.
>> Unfortunately, up until now, I?ve had to restrict myself to simple use cases, because existing documentation only scratches the surface.
>> You can see there are much more advanced things you could do, but for those you don?t find an explanation anywhere. You?re left with trial & error.
>> So, my question is: Are there plans to produce a book-style, really in-depth explanation of all coccinelle functionality?
>> I think that would be really necessary if you want bigger adoption/usage.
> 
> It's not in our current plans.

Ok. Pity. What?s the preferred way for newcomers to ask questions, then? This email list? IRC?

Thanks.

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Julia Lawall]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:

> 
> > On 20 Dec 2014, at 17:06, Julia Lawall <julia.lawall@lip6.fr> wrote:
> > 
> > On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:
> > 
> >> Hi,
> >> 
> >> I discovered coccinelle some time ago, and I think it?s an amazing tool that can make a real difference.
> >> Unfortunately, up until now, I?ve had to restrict myself to simple use cases, because existing documentation only scratches the surface.
> >> You can see there are much more advanced things you could do, but for those you don?t find an explanation anywhere. You?re left with trial & error.
> >> So, my question is: Are there plans to produce a book-style, really in-depth explanation of all coccinelle functionality?
> >> I think that would be really necessary if you want bigger adoption/usage.
> > 
> > It's not in our current plans.
> 
> Ok. Pity. What?s the preferred way for newcomers to ask questions, then? This email list? IRC?

Email is preferred, because then others can benefit from your question.

IRC is OK.

julia

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Derek M Jones]

Julia,

>> Ok. Pity. What?s the preferred way for newcomers to ask questions, then? This email list? IRC?
>
> Email is preferred, because then others can benefit from your question.

Don't you star in some tutorial videos from a coccinelle workshop?

-- 
Derek M. Jones           Software analysis
tel: +44 (0)1252 520667  blog:shape-of-code.coding-guidelines.com

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Julia Lawall]

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Derek M Jones wrote:

> Julia,
> 
> > > Ok. Pity. What?s the preferred way for newcomers to ask questions, then?
> > > This email list? IRC?
> > 
> > Email is preferred, because then others can benefit from your question.
> 
> Don't you star in some tutorial videos from a coccinelle workshop?

Yes.  Concretely, on papers and slides (http://coccinelle.lip6.fr/papers.php), 
there is a tutorial with an associated youtube video.

julia

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[David Young]

On Sat, Dec 20, 2014 at 07:07:10PM +0100, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:
> > On 20 Dec 2014, at 17:06, Julia Lawall <julia.lawall@lip6.fr> wrote:
> > On Sat, 20 Dec 2014, Eliseo Mart?nez wrote:
> >> So, my question is: Are there plans to produce a book-style, really in-depth explanation of all coccinelle functionality?
> > 
> > It's not in our current plans.
> 
> Ok. Pity. What?s the preferred way for newcomers to ask questions,
> then? This email list? IRC?

I would be willing to chip in some money to pay for an experienced
technical writer to create some solid Coccinelle documentation.  This
might be a good project to pitch on Kickstarter or one of the other
crowdfunding sites.

Dave

-- 
David Young
dyoung at pobox.com    Urbana, IL    (217) 721-9981

[Cocci] In depth docs & question about include

[Derek M Jones]

David,

> I would be willing to chip in some money to pay for an experienced
> technical writer to create some solid Coccinelle documentation.  This
> might be a good project to pitch on Kickstarter or one of the other
> crowdfunding sites.

Yes, Kickstarter sounds like an excellent idea.

We need the O'Reilly book for Coccinelle.
Who might be interested and what sort of cost?

I'm busy with my own book for this year:
http://shape-of-code.coding-guidelines.com/2012/06/22/background-to-my-book-project-empirical-software-engineering-with-r/ 


-- 
Derek M. Jones           Software analysis
tel: +44 (0)1252 520667  blog:shape-of-code.coding-guidelines.com