linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] checkpatch: Add check for too short Kconfig descriptions

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Date:	Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:03:36 +0100
From:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>
To:	Tilman Schmidt <tilman@...p.cc>
Cc:	Andi Kleen <andi@...stfloor.org>, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	apw@...onical.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH] checkpatch: Add check for too short Kconfig descriptions

On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 06:24:45PM +0100, Tilman Schmidt wrote:
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> Am 2010-03-20 15:07 schrieb Andi Kleen:
> > The warning merely is intended to get people to think
> > about that. Yes it cannot enforce it directly.
> 
> Then change the wording, at least. With the current wording, people will
> think, "But I did!", and complain about a false positive on LKML, where
> they will be annoyed to learn that checkpatch.pl's criterion for
> "describing fully" is "having at least four lines".

Change to what?  If you have a better suggestion I can change it.

> 
> But even with a better wording, I think the warning will still do more
> harm than good.

We have to agree to disagree on that then.


> 
> > Yes it's not a perfect measure and can be circumvented. But hopefully
> > most users would not.
> 
> I'm not thinking of circumvention, but of well-meaning authors writing
> long explanations that describe everything the author found worth
> mentioning, but still don't answer the essential question: "Should I
> select that option?" In fact, most of the unhelpful Kconfig help texts
> I've encountered where longer than four lines. :-)

I don't disagree that longer help texts can be unhelpful too,
but at least there's some chance that they are. 

For a single sentence it's very unlikely ever that it's helpful.

-Andi

-- 
ak@...ux.intel.com -- Speaking for myself only.
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