Re: [PATCH] struct char_device

[Martin Dalecki]

Linus Torvalds wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 22 May 2001, Jeff Garzik wrote:
> >
> > IMHO it would be nice to (for 2.4) create wrappers for accessing the
> > block arrays, so that we can more easily dispose of the arrays when 2.5
> > rolls around...
> 
> No.
> 
> We do not create wrappers "so that we can easily change the implementation
> when xxx happens".
> 
> That way lies bad implementations.

However Linus please note that in the case of the bould arrays
used in device handling code we have code patterns like this:

	if (blah[major]) {
		size = blah[major][minor]
	} else
		size = some default;

And those have to by dragged throughout the whole places where
the arrays get used. Thus making some wrappers (many are already in
place):

1. Prevents typo kind of programming errors.

2. Possibly make the code more explicit.

and please don't forget:

3. Allows to change the underlying implementation in some soon point in
time.

However I agree that *without* the above arguments such kind of wrappers
would make the overall code as unreadable as C++ code frequently is,
which
tryies to preserve private: attributes at simple field cases..