xref: /dragonfly/share/man/man9/intro.9 (revision 36a3d1d6)
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35.Dd December 13, 1995
36.Dt INTRO 9
37.Os
38.Sh NAME
39.Nm intro
40.Nd "introduction to system kernel interfaces"
41.Sh DESCRIPTION
42This section contains information about the interfaces and
43subroutines in the kernel.
44.Sh PROTOTYPES ANSI-C AND ALL THAT
45Yes please.
46.Pp
47We would like all code to be fully prototyped.
48.Pp
49If your code compiles cleanly with
50.Nm cc
51.Ar -Wall
52we would feel happy about it.
53It is important to understand that this isn't a question of just shutting up
54.Nm cc ,
55it is a question about avoiding the things it complains about.
56To put it bluntly, don't hide the problem by casting and other
57obfuscating practices, solve the problem.
58.Sh INDENTATION AND STYLE
59Believe it or not, there actually exists a guide for indentation and style.
60It isn't generally applied though.
61.Pp
62We would appreciate if people would pay attention to it, and at least not
63violate it blatantly.
64.Pp
65We don't mind it too badly if you have your own style, but please make
66sure we can read it too.
67.Pp
68Please take time to read
69.Xr style 9
70for more information.
71.Sh NAMING THINGS
72Some general rules exist:
73.Bl -enum
74.It
75If a function is meant as a debugging aid in DDB, it should be enclosed
76in
77.Bd -literal -offset indent
78#ifdef DDB
79
80#endif /* DDB */
81.Ed
82.Pp
83And the name of the procedure should start with the prefix
84.Li DDB_
85to clearly identify the procedure as a debugger routine.
86.El
87.Sh SCOPE OF SYMBOLS
88It is important to carefully consider the scope of symbols in the kernel.
89The default is to make everything static, unless some reason requires
90the opposite.
91.Pp
92There are several reasons for this policy,
93the main one is that the kernel is one monolithic name-space,
94and pollution is not a good idea here either.
95.Pp
96For device drivers and other modules that don't add new internal interfaces
97to the kernel, the entire source should be in one file if possible.
98That way all symbols can be made static.
99.Pp
100If for some reason a module is split over multiple source files, then try
101to split the module along some major fault-line and consider using the
102number of global symbols as your guide.
103The fewer the better.
104.Sh SEE ALSO
105.Xr style 9
106.Sh HISTORY
107The
108.Nm
109section manual page appeared in
110.Fx 2.2 .
111