Re: [patch net-next] devlink: add format requirement for devlink param names

[Jiri Pirko <jiri@resnulli.us>]

Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 10:27:48PM CEST, andrew@lunn.ch wrote:
>On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 10:08:22PM +0200, Jiri Pirko wrote:
>> Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 07:43:04PM CEST, andrew@lunn.ch wrote:
>> >On Fri, Oct 18, 2019 at 06:07:26PM +0200, Jiri Pirko wrote:
>> >> From: Jiri Pirko <jiri@mellanox.com>
>> >> 
>> >> Currently, the name format is not required by the code, however it is
>> >> required during patch review. All params added until now are in-lined
>> >> with the following format:
>> >> 1) lowercase characters, digits and underscored are allowed
>> >> 2) underscore is neither at the beginning nor at the end and
>> >>    there is no more than one in a row.
>> >> 
>> >> Add checker to the code to require this format from drivers and warn if
>> >> they don't follow.
>> >
>> >Hi Jiri
>> >
>> >Could you add a reference to where these requirements are derived
>> >from. What can go wrong if they are ignored? I assume it is something
>> 
>> Well, no reference. All existing params, both generic and driver
>> specific are following this format. I just wanted to make that required
>> so all params are looking similar.
>> 
>> 
>> >to do with sysfs?
>> 
>> No, why would you think so?
>
>I was not expecting it to be totally arbitrary. I thought you would
>have a real technical reason. Spaces often cause problems, as well as
>/ etc.
>
>I've had problems with hwmon device names breaking assumptions in the
>user space code, etc. I was expecting something like this.
>
>I don't really like the all lower case restriction. It makes it hard
>to be consistent. All Marvell Docs refer to the Address Translation
>Unit as ATU. I don't think there is any reference to atu. I would
>prefer to be consistent with the documentation and use ATU. But that
>is against your arbitrary rules.


There are already params with abbrs that could be upper case. So if we
do uppercase now, it would be inconsistent. I just
want the format to be as simple as possible. lowercase, digits and "_"
is very simple and can accomodate everything.


>
>       Andrew