Re: [GSoC][RFC][PATCH 1/2] STRBUF_INIT_CONST: a new way to initialize strbuf

[Johannes Sixt <j6t@kdbg.org>]

Am 18.02.20 um 05:18 schrieb Robear Selwans:
> A new function `STRBUF_INIT_CONST(const_str)` was added to allow for a
> quick initialization of strbuf.
> 
> Details:
> Using `STRBUF_INIT_CONST(str)` creates a new struct of type `strbuf` and
> initializes its `buf`, `len` and `alloc` as `str`, `strlen(str)` and
> `0`, respectively.
> 
> Use Case:
> This is meant to be used to initialize strbufs with constant values and
> thus, only allocating memory when needed.
> 
> Usage Example:
> ```
> strbuf env_var = STRBUF_INIT_CONST("dev");
> ```
> 
> This was added according to the issue opened at [https://github.com/gitgitgadget/git/issues/398]

I am not a friend of this change at all. Why do so many functions and
strbuf instances have to pay a price (check for immutable string) for a
feature that they are not using?

As the macro is just intended for convenience, I suggest to implement it
using strbuf_addstr() under the hood. That is much less code churn, and
the price is paid only by the strbufs that actually use the feature.

-- Hannes