netdev - Re: [PATCH] linux++, this: rename "struct notifier

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Date:   Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:37:47 -0700
From:   Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>
To:     Alexey Dobriyan <adobriyan@...il.com>
Cc:     Linux Kernel Mailing List <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        Netdev <netdev@...r.kernel.org>,
        linux-arch <linux-arch@...r.kernel.org>,
        NetFilter <netfilter-devel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] linux++, this: rename "struct notifier_block *this"

On Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 2:06 PM Alexey Dobriyan <adobriyan@...il.com> wrote:
>
> Rename
>         struct notifier_block *this
> to
>         struct notifier_block *nb
>
> "nb" is arguably a better name for notifier block.

Maybe it's a better name. But it doesn't seem worth it.

Because C++ reserved words are entirely irrelevant.

We did this same dance almost three decades ago, and the fact is, C++
has other reserved words that make it all pointless.

There is no way I will accept the renaming of various "new" variables.
We did it, it was bad, we undid it, and we now have a _lot_ more uses
of 'new' and 'old', and no, we're not changing it for a braindead
language that isn't relevant to the kernel.

The fact is, C++ chose bad identifiers to make reserved words.

If you want to build the kernel with C++, you'd be a lot better off just doing

   /* C++ braindamage */
   #define this __this
   #define new __new

and deal with that instead.

Because no, the 'new' renaming will never happen, and while 'this'
isn't nearly as common or relevant a name, once you have the same
issue with 'new', what's the point of trying to deal with 'this'?

             Linus