Re: [PATCH v4] coding-style: Clarify the expectations around bool
From: Matthew Wilcox <willy@infradead.org>
Date: 2019-01-13 16:49:46
Also in:
linux-doc, linux-rdma, lkml
From: Matthew Wilcox <willy@infradead.org>
Date: 2019-01-13 16:49:46
Also in:
linux-doc, linux-rdma, lkml
On Thu, Jan 10, 2019 at 11:48:13PM +0000, Jason Gunthorpe wrote:
+The Linux kernel bool type is an alias for the C99 _Bool type. bool values can +only evaluate to 0 or 1, and implicit or explicit conversion to bool +automatically converts the value to true or false. When using bool types the +!! construction is not needed, which eliminates a class of bugs. + +When working with bool values the true and false definitions should be used +instead of 0 and 1. + +bool function return types and stack variables are always fine to use whenever +appropriate. Use of bool is encouraged to improve readability and is often a +better option than 'int' for storing boolean values.
It's awkward to start a sentence with a lower case letter. How about rephrasing this paragraph and the following one as: Using bool as the return type of a function or as a variable is always fine when appropriate. It often improves readability and is a better option than int for storing boolean values. Using bool in data structures is more debatable; its size and alignment can vary between architectures.
+Do not use bool if cache line layout or size of the value matters, its size +and alignment varies based on the compiled architecture. Structures that are +optimized for alignment and size should not use bool. + +If a structure has many true/false values, consider consolidating them into a +bitfield with 1 bit members, or using an appropriate fixed width type, such as +u8.