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List:       freebsd-hackers
Subject:    Re: [PATCH] reduce text(code) size and improve clarity of pkg_add
From:       "David O'Brien" <obrien () FreeBSD ! ORG>
Date:       2001-07-30 16:24:22
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On Mon, Jul 30, 2001 at 08:46:01AM -0700, Jordan Hubbard wrote:
> From: "David O'Brien" <obrien@FreeBSD.ORG>
> Subject: [PATCH] reduce text(code) size and improve clarity of pkg_add
> Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 21:44:12 -0700
> 
> > I'd like to apply this patch to pkg_add which reduces the amount of code
> > the compiler generates, and improves the clarity of the code.
> 
> As the original author of this code, I'll just say that I favor
> clarity over speed.

Actually, it was the clarity issue that started this for me.  When I saw
s_strl*, I had to think "OK, what's *this* version of safe strl* doing?".
A "grep s_strl *" didn't answer my question, so I had to go grepping over
a larger area than just `.'.

It was only after finding the definitions of s_strl* that I felt the
extra abstraction was not justified from either a clarity or
speed/efficiency position.

I have had four private response to this diff (no one wants to open
themselves to being flamed):

1. s_strl*() is an oversimplification. I agree with this diff.
2. if "size" ended up being a complex expression, I would rather the
   s_ version, but it wasn't complex
3. the extra layering is not warranted, I agree with the patch
4. in this specific case, it looked like Kris had some other agenda
   [referring Kris's objection to my original commit of this patch]

And now one public one :-)

5.
> I vote for the shortest one which has
> the least number of private or otherwise "lesser known" functions
> since that also obscures clarity.

-- 
-- David  (obrien@FreeBSD.org)

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