linux-kernel - Re: [RFC][PATCH] A generic boolean

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Message-ID: <yq0lkq4vbs3.fsf@jaguar.mkp.net>
Date:	04 Aug 2006 10:03:08 -0400
From:	Jes Sorensen <jes@....com>
To:	Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org>
Cc:	ricknu-0@...dent.ltu.se, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>
Subject: Re: [RFC][PATCH] A generic boolean

>>>>> "Jeff" == Jeff Garzik <jeff@...zik.org> writes:

Jeff> ricknu-0@...dent.ltu.se wrote:
>> A first step to a generic boolean-type. The patch just introduce
>> the bool (in

Jeff> Since gcc supports boolean types and can optimize for such,
Jeff> introducing bool is IMO a good thing.

>> -Why would we want it?  -There is already some how are depending on
>> a "boolean"-type (like NTFS). Also, it will clearify functions who
>> returns a boolean from one returning a value, ex: bool it_is_ok();
>> char it_is_ok(); The first one is obvious what it is doing, the
>> secound might return some sort of status.

Jeff> A better reason is that there is intrinsic compiler support for
Jeff> booleans.

Well late to the dicussion, but I still want to point out that forcing
a boolean type of a different size upon existing kernel code is not
always a great idea and can have nasty side effects for struct
alignments. Not to mention that on some architectures, accessing a u1
is a lot slower than accessing an int. If a developer really wants to
use the smaller type he/she should do so explicitly being aware of the
impact.

The kernel is written in C, not C++ or Jave or some other broken
language and C doesn't have 'bool'. This patch falls under the
'typedefs considered evil' or typedef for the sake of typedef, if you
ask me.

Regards,
Jes
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