[PATCH v3] qconfig: Improve the documentation

[PATCH v3] qconfig: Improve the documentation

[Massimo Pegorer]

Specify where the database is created and under what name. Add text
value lookup examples, including quoting, escaping and regular
expression cases. Update other examples, or just their output, in the
section documenting -f option usage. Trivial fixes.

Signed-off-by: Massimo Pegorer <massimo.pegorer+oss@gmail.com>
---
Changes in v3:
- Fix description of updated example (PCIE1 ~PCIE2)
- Add info and example about whole value matching requirement
- Slightly change string value examples to more effective ones
- Link to v2: https://patch.msgid.link/20261003-qconfigdoc-v2-1-b2338cdd8a35@gmail.com

Changes in v2:
- Reword and add details.
- Update examples about -f options, or their output.
- Link to v1: https://patch.msgid.link/20261003-qconfigdoc-v1-1-9dac84b3ef75@gmail.com

To: u-boot@lists.u-boot-project.org
To: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
Cc: Tom Rini <trini@konsulko.com>
Cc: Massimo Pegorer <massimo.pegorer+oss@gmail.com>
---
 doc/develop/qconfig.rst | 59 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
 1 file changed, 49 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/develop/qconfig.rst b/doc/develop/qconfig.rst
index a18f32470ca..f05ef36c43f 100644
--- a/doc/develop/qconfig.rst
+++ b/doc/develop/qconfig.rst
@@ -24,11 +24,14 @@ You may need to install 'python3-asteval' for the 'asteval' module.
 How does it work?
 -----------------
 
+The tool must be run at the top of the source directory.
+
 When building a database (`-b`), this tool runs configuration and builds
 include/autoconf.mk for every defconfig.  The config options defined in Kconfig
-appear in the .config file (unless they are hidden because of unmet dependency.)
+appear in the .config file (unless they are hidden because of unmet dependency).
 On the other hand, the config options defined by board headers are seen
-in include/autoconf.mk.
+in include/autoconf.mk.  The tool stores the database in a file named qconfig.db
+at the top of the source directory.
 
 When resyncing defconfigs (`-s`) the .config is synced by "make savedefconfig"
 and the defconfig is updated with it.
@@ -79,24 +82,60 @@ which do not. To use it, first build a database::
 Then you can run queries using the `-f` flag followed by a list of CONFIG terms.
 Each term is CONFIG name, with or without a tilde (~) prefix. The tool searches
 for boards which match the CONFIG name, or do not match if tilde is used. For
-example, to find boards which enabled CONFIG_SCSI but not CONFIG_BLK::
+example, to find boards which enabled CONFIG_PCIE1 but not CONFIG_PCIE2::
 
-    tools/qconfig.py -f SCSI ~BLK
-    3 matches
-    pg_wcom_seli8_defconfig highbank_defconfig pg_wcom_expu1_defconfig
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f PCIE1 ~PCIE2
+    10 matches
+    MPC8548CDS_36BIT MPC8548CDS MPC8548CDS_legacy kmcent2
+    ls1012afrwy_tfa_SECURE_BOOT ls1012afrwy_tfa ls1012aqds_tfa_SECURE_BOOT
+    ls1012aqds_tfa ls1012ardb_tfa_SECURE_BOOT ls1012ardb_tfa
 
 It is also possible to search for particular values. For example, this finds all
 boards with an empty string for `CONFIG_DEFAULT_FDT_FILE`::
 
     ./tools/qconfig.py -f DEFAULT_FDT_FILE=\"\"
-    1092 matches
+    1229 matches
     ...
 
 This finds boards which have a value for SYS_MAXARGS other than 64::
 
     ./tools/qconfig.py -f ~SYS_MAXARGS=64
-    cfg CONFIG_SYS_MAXARGS
-    281 matches
+    296 matches
+    ...
+
+String values can be searched for, too, including regular expressions, but
+taking care of needed quoting and escaping. Since the values are stored in the
+database with their double quotes, the quotes must be part of the pattern
+itself. Enclosing the pattern with single quotes makes the shell pass the double
+quotes and backslashes through unchanged.
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT=arch/arm/cpu/armv8/u-boot-spl.lds
+    0 matches
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT="arch/arm/cpu/armv8/u-boot-spl.lds"
+    0 matches
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT='"arch/arm/cpu/armv8/u-boot-spl.lds"'
+    326 matches
+    ...
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT='"arch/arm/cpu/.*/u-boot-spl.lds"'
+    462 matches
+    ...
+
+The pattern must match the whole value stored in the database, therefore::
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT='"arch/arm/cpu/.*/'
+    0 matches
+
+The values stored are the ones from the Kconfig files before expansion, thus::
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT='"arch/arm/cpu/u-boot-spl.lds"'
+    0 matches
+
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -f SPL_LDSCRIPT='"arch/\$\(ARCH\)/cpu/u-boot-spl.lds"' \
+        SYS_ARCH='"arm"'
+    158 matches
     ...
 
 
@@ -245,4 +284,4 @@ Available options
 
 To see the complete list of supported options, run::
 
-  tools/qconfig.py -h
+    ./tools/qconfig.py -h

---
base-commit: 8d534cec0cc0109a37c0ded8854da03f1526dc0e
change-id: 20261003-qconfigdoc-fe844c4f241f

Best regards,
--  
Massimo Pegorer <massimo.pegorer+oss@gmail.com>

Re: [PATCH v3] qconfig: Improve the documentation

[Simon Glass]

On 2026-10-18T09:58:12, Massimo Pegorer <massimo.pegorer+oss@gmail.com> wrote:
> qconfig: Improve the documentation
>
> Specify where the database is created and under what name. Add text
> value lookup examples, including quoting, escaping and regular
> expression cases. Update other examples, or just their output, in the
> section documenting -f option usage. Trivial fixes.
>
> Signed-off-by: Massimo Pegorer <massimo.pegorer+oss@gmail.com>
>
>  doc/develop/qconfig.rst | 59 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------
>  1 file changed, 49 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

Reviewed-by: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>