Re: coding style change proposal: function parameter names in headers

[Sergei Golubchik]

Hi, Ingo!

On Mar 17, Ingo Strüwing wrote:
> I propose to demand function parameter names in header files.
> 
> We do not document functions in header files. The documentation goes to
> the C/C++ file where it is defined.
> With parameter names in header files, one would not need to look up the
> source file for every function call.
> 
> Example:
> 
>   Restore_info* prepare_for_restore(String*, LEX_STRING,
>                                     const char*, bool,
>                                     const char*);
> 
> This declaration forces me to look into kernel.cc whenever I want to
> call it.
> 
>   Restore_info* prepare_for_restore(String *backupdir,
>                                     LEX_STRING orig_dir,
>                                     const char *query,
>                                     bool with_compression,
>                                     const char *comment);
> 
> In this case there is a good chance that I do not need to consult the
> function comment in the source file.

And why would you prefer to consult the header file, and not the source
file ?

I like it the way it is (and actually remove argument names from the
prototype declarations sometimes) because that's how it works with
ctags - any function definition is only one keypress away when one uses
tags. But because tag file uses regular expressions to find a function,
for example, /^Restore_info* prepare_for_restore(String *backupdir,/,
it is not able to distinguish between the prototype

Restore_info* prepare_for_restore(String *backupdir,
                                  LEX_STRING orig_dir,
                                  const char *query,
                                  bool with_compression,
                                  const char *comment);

in the beginning of the file, and the function itself

Restore_info* prepare_for_restore(String *backupdir,
                                  LEX_STRING orig_dir,
                                  const char *query,
                                  bool with_compression,
                                  const char *comment)
{

in the middle of the file.
That's why I like it when prototypes are written without argument names.
Of course, this argument only applies to prototypes in the source files,
not in the headers. But it's nice to use the same style everywhere.

Regards / Mit vielen Grüßen,
Sergei

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