Re: [PATCH] dmi: Let dmi_walk() users pass private data

Jean Delvare
2009-02-03T09:52:49Z

On Tue, 3 Feb 2009 00:42:10 -0800, Andrew Morton wrote:
> On Sun, 1 Feb 2009 22:46:59 +0100 Jean Delvare <khali@linux-fr.org> wrote:
>
> > At the moment, dmi_walk() lacks flexibility, users can't pass data to
> > the callback function. Add a pointer for private data to make this
> > function more flexible.
>
> That new argument is sometimes called "priv", other times called "data"
> and other times called "dummy". It would be good to come up with a nice
> meaningful name and stick to it.
>
> (The "dummy" thing probably makes sense, as long as people think to
> rename it to the chosen identifier if they later actually use it for
> something).

Indeed, naming things "dummy" when they are required for prototype
reasons but otherwise unused is a rather common strategy.

As for "priv" vs. "data", I wanted to use "data" everywhere, but it
happens that we already have a local variable named "data" in function
dmi_table(). I didn't want to change it, to not make the patch bigger
and harder to read. If you think this is such a big issue, I could
either rename that local variable nevertheless, or use "priv"
everywhere (with the open question whether we should also use "priv"
instead of "data" in <linux/dmi.h> or not.) Let me know what you prefer.

Thanks,
--
Jean Delvare