linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH net-next v2 3/4] net: phy: micrel: Replace hardcoded pages with defines

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Message-ID: <20250725064839.psuzyuxfmyvudfka@DEN-DL-M31836.microchip.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:48:39 +0200
From: Horatiu Vultur <horatiu.vultur@...rochip.com>
To: "Russell King (Oracle)" <linux@...linux.org.uk>
CC: <andrew@...n.ch>, <hkallweit1@...il.com>, <davem@...emloft.net>,
	<edumazet@...gle.com>, <kuba@...nel.org>, <pabeni@...hat.com>,
	<richardcochran@...il.com>, <o.rempel@...gutronix.de>,
	<netdev@...r.kernel.org>, <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH net-next v2 3/4] net: phy: micrel: Replace hardcoded
 pages with defines

The 07/24/2025 21:45, Russell King (Oracle) wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Jul 24, 2025 at 10:08:25PM +0200, Horatiu Vultur wrote:
> > diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/micrel.c b/drivers/net/phy/micrel.c
> > index b04c471c11a4a..d20f028106b7d 100644
> > --- a/drivers/net/phy/micrel.c
> > +++ b/drivers/net/phy/micrel.c
> > @@ -2788,6 +2788,13 @@ static int ksz886x_cable_test_get_status(struct phy_device *phydev,
> >       return ret;
> >  }
> >
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_0                                       0
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_1                                       1
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_2                                       2
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_4                                       4
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_5                                       5
> > +#define LAN_EXT_PAGE_31                                      31

Hi Russell,

> 
> I don't see the point of this change. This is almost as bad as:
> 
> #define ZERO 0
> #define ONE 1
> #define TWO 2
> #define THREE 3
> ...
> #define ONE_HUNDRED_AND_FIFTY_FIVE 155
> etc
> 
> It doesn't give us any new information, and just adds extra clutter,
> making the code less readable.
> 
> The point of using register definitions is to describe the purpose
> of the number, giving the number a meaning, not to just hide the
> number because we don't want to see such things in C code.
> 
> I'm sorry if you were asked to do this in v1, but I think if you
> were asked to do it, it would've been assuming that the definitions
> could be more meaningful.

You are right, I have been ask to change this in version 1:
https://lkml.org/lkml/2025/7/23/672

I have mentioned it that the extended pages don't have any meaningfull
names also in the register description document. But Oleksij says he
will be fine with xxxx_EXT_PAGE_0, so maybe I have missunderstood Oleksij
in what he proposed.

> 
> --
> RMK's Patch system: https://www.armlinux.org.uk/developer/patches/
> FTTP is here! 80Mbps down 10Mbps up. Decent connectivity at last!

-- 
/Horatiu