linux-kernel - Re: [patch 05/11] syslets: core code

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Message-ID: <2c0942db0702160853s18f650ccsa7270c047d94a41b@mail.gmail.com>
Date:	Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:53:30 -0800
From:	"Ray Lee" <madrabbit@...il.com>
To:	"Evgeniy Polyakov" <johnpol@....mipt.ru>
Cc:	"Linus Torvalds" <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
	"Ingo Molnar" <mingo@...e.hu>,
	"Linux Kernel Mailing List" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"Arjan van de Ven" <arjan@...radead.org>,
	"Christoph Hellwig" <hch@...radead.org>,
	"Andrew Morton" <akpm@....com.au>,
	"Alan Cox" <alan@...rguk.ukuu.org.uk>,
	"Ulrich Drepper" <drepper@...hat.com>,
	"Zach Brown" <zach.brown@...cle.com>,
	"David S. Miller" <davem@...emloft.net>,
	"Benjamin LaHaise" <bcrl@...ck.org>,
	"Suparna Bhattacharya" <suparna@...ibm.com>,
	"Davide Libenzi" <davidel@...ilserver.org>,
	"Thomas Gleixner" <tglx@...utronix.de>
Subject: Re: [patch 05/11] syslets: core code

On 2/16/07, Evgeniy Polyakov <johnpol@....mipt.ru> wrote:
> if its design is good, then
> interface can be changed in a moment without any problem

This isn't always the case. Sometimes the interface puts requirements
(contract-like) upon the implementation. Case in point in the kernel,
dnotify versus inotify. dnotify is a steaming pile of worthlessness,
because it's userspace interface is so bad (meaning inefficient) as to
be nearly unusable.

inotify has a different interface, one that supplies details about
events rather that mere notice that an event occurred, and therefore
has different requirements in implementation. dnotify probably was a
good design, but for a worthless interface.

The interface isn't always important, but it's certainly something
that has to be understood before putting the finishing touches on the
behind-the-scenes implementation.

Ray
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