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Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/CodingStyle')
| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/CodingStyle | 45 |
1 files changed, 43 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/CodingStyle b/Documentation/CodingStyle index 2b90d328b3ba..cb9258b8fd35 100644 --- a/Documentation/CodingStyle +++ b/Documentation/CodingStyle @@ -671,8 +671,9 @@ ones already enabled by DEBUG. Chapter 14: Allocating memory The kernel provides the following general purpose memory allocators: -kmalloc(), kzalloc(), kcalloc(), vmalloc(), and vzalloc(). Please refer to -the API documentation for further information about them. +kmalloc(), kzalloc(), kmalloc_array(), kcalloc(), vmalloc(), and +vzalloc(). Please refer to the API documentation for further information +about them. The preferred form for passing a size of a struct is the following: @@ -686,6 +687,17 @@ Casting the return value which is a void pointer is redundant. The conversion from void pointer to any other pointer type is guaranteed by the C programming language. +The preferred form for allocating an array is the following: + + p = kmalloc_array(n, sizeof(...), ...); + +The preferred form for allocating a zeroed array is the following: + + p = kcalloc(n, sizeof(...), ...); + +Both forms check for overflow on the allocation size n * sizeof(...), +and return NULL if that occurred. + Chapter 15: The inline disease @@ -793,6 +805,35 @@ own custom mode, or may have some other magic method for making indentation work correctly. + Chapter 19: Inline assembly + +In architecture-specific code, you may need to use inline assembly to interface +with CPU or platform functionality. Don't hesitate to do so when necessary. +However, don't use inline assembly gratuitously when C can do the job. You can +and should poke hardware from C when possible. + +Consider writing simple helper functions that wrap common bits of inline +assembly, rather than repeatedly writing them with slight variations. Remember +that inline assembly can use C parameters. + +Large, non-trivial assembly functions should go in .S files, with corresponding +C prototypes defined in C header files. The C prototypes for assembly +functions should use "asmlinkage". + +You may need to mark your asm statement as volatile, to prevent GCC from +removing it if GCC doesn't notice any side effects. You don't always need to +do so, though, and doing so unnecessarily can limit optimization. + +When writing a single inline assembly statement containing multiple +instructions, put each instruction on a separate line in a separate quoted +string, and end each string except the last with \n\t to properly indent the +next instruction in the assembly output: + + asm ("magic %reg1, #42\n\t" + "more_magic %reg2, %reg3" + : /* outputs */ : /* inputs */ : /* clobbers */); + + Appendix I: References |
