linux-kernel - Re: [for-next][PATCH 23/24] string.h: Add strncmp

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Date:   Sat, 22 Dec 2018 10:20:02 +0000
From:   Malcolm Priestley <tvboxspy@...il.com>
To:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org>
Cc:     Linux List Kernel Mailing <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Ingo Molnar <mingo@...nel.org>,
        Andrew Morton <akpm@...ux-foundation.org>,
        Namhyung Kim <namhyung@...nel.org>,
        Masami Hiramatsu <mhiramat@...nel.org>,
        Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
        Tom Zanussi <zanussi@...nel.org>,
        Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>
Subject: Re: [for-next][PATCH 23/24] string.h: Add strncmp_prefix() helper
 macro

On 21/12/2018 18:51, Linus Torvalds wrote:
> On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 9:57 AM Steven Rostedt <rostedt@...dmis.org> wrote:
>>
>> I figured the best thing to do is to create a helper macro and place it
>> into include/linux/string.h. And go around and fix all the open coded
>> versions of it later.
>>
>> I plan on only applying this patch and updating the tracing hooks for
>> this merge window. And perhaps use it to fix some of the bugs that were
>> found.
> 
> I like the helper function concept, but as they say about CS: "There
> is only one hard problem in computer science: naming and off-by-one
> errors".
> 
> And this one has that problem. The name makes absolutely no sense.
> 
> Calling it "strncmp_prefix()" when there is no "n" there makes no sense.
> 
> So drop the "n" from the name.
> 
Being British the 'n' implies 'and' and still being interpreted Boolean.

strncmp = string and compare

Like other of our words Fish'n'Chips, Salt'n'Shake.

I don't think these abbreviations exist in American English.