Doxygenated

src/include/tables.h

 #ifndef TABLES_H
 #define TABLES_H
 
-/*
- * Macros for dealing with linker-generated tables of fixed-size
- * symbols.  We make fairly extensive use of these in order to avoid
- * ifdef spaghetti and/or linker symbol pollution.  For example,
- * instead of having code such as
+/** @page ifdef_harmful #ifdef considered harmful
+ *
+ * Overuse of @c #ifdef has long been a problem in Etherboot.
+ * Etherboot provides a rich array of features, but all these features
+ * take up valuable space in a ROM image.  The traditional solution to
+ * this problem has been for each feature to have its own @c #ifdef
+ * option, allowing the feature to be compiled in only if desired.
+ *
+ * The problem with this is that it becomes impossible to compile, let
+ * alone test, all possible versions of Etherboot.  Code that is not
+ * typically used tends to suffer from bit-rot over time.  It becomes
+ * extremely difficult to predict which combinations of compile-time
+ * options will result in code that can even compile and link
+ * correctly.
+ *
+ * To solve this problem, we have adopted a new approach from
+ * Etherboot 5.5 onwards.  @c #ifdef is now "considered harmful", and
+ * its use should be minimised.  Separate features should be
+ * implemented in separate @c .c files, and should \b always be
+ * compiled (i.e. they should \b not be guarded with a @c #ifdef @c
+ * MY_PET_FEATURE statement).  By making (almost) all code always
+ * compile, we avoid the problem of bit-rot in rarely-used code.
+ *
+ * The file config.h, in combination with the @c make command line,
+ * specifies the objects that will be included in any particular build
+ * of Etherboot.  For example, suppose that config.h includes the line
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   #define CONSOLE_SERIAL
+ *   #define DOWNLOAD_PROTO_TFTP
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * When a particular Etherboot image (e.g. @c bin/rtl8139.zdsk) is
+ * built, the options specified in config.h are used to drag in the
+ * relevant objects at link-time.  For the above example, serial.o and
+ * tftp.o would be linked in.
+ *
+ * There remains one problem to solve: how do these objects get used?
+ * Traditionally, we had code such as
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *    #ifdef CONSOLE_SERIAL
+ *      serial_init();
+ *    #endif
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * in main.c, but this reintroduces @c #ifdef and so is a Bad Idea.
+ * We cannot simply remove the @c #ifdef and make it
+ *
+ * @code
  *
- * #ifdef CONSOLE_SERIAL
  *   serial_init();
- * #endif
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * because then serial.o would end up always being linked in.
+ *
+ * The solution is to use @link tables.h linker tables @endlink.
+ *
+ */
+
+/** @file
+ *
+ * Linker tables
+ *
+ * Read @ref ifdef_harmful first for some background on the motivation
+ * for using linker tables.
+ *
+ * This file provides macros for dealing with linker-generated tables
+ * of fixed-size symbols.  We make fairly extensive use of these in
+ * order to avoid @c #ifdef spaghetti and/or linker symbol pollution.
+ * For example, instead of having code such as
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *    #ifdef CONSOLE_SERIAL
+ *      serial_init();
+ *    #endif
+ *
+ * @endcode
  *
  * we make serial.c generate an entry in the initialisation function
  * table, and then have a function call_init_fns() that simply calls
  * all functions present in this table.  If and only if serial.o gets
  * linked in, then its initialisation function will be called.  We
  * avoid linker symbol pollution (i.e. always dragging in serial.o
- * just because of a call to serial_init()) and we also avoid ifdef
- * spaghetti (having to conditionalise every reference to functions in
- * serial.c).
+ * just because of a call to serial_init()) and we also avoid @c
+ * #ifdef spaghetti (having to conditionalise every reference to
+ * functions in serial.c).
  *
  * The linker script takes care of assembling the tables for us.  All
- * our table sections have names of the format ".tbl.NAME.NN" where
- * NAME designates the data structure stored in the table
- * (e.g. "init_fn") and NN is a two-digit decimal number used to
- * impose an ordering upon the tables if required.  NN=00 is reserved
- * for the symbol indicating "table start", and NN=99 is reserved for
- * the symbol indicating "table end".
+ * our table sections have names of the format @c .tbl.NAME.NN where
+ * @c NAME designates the data structure stored in the table (e.g. @c
+ * init_fn) and @c NN is a two-digit decimal number used to impose an
+ * ordering upon the tables if required.  @c NN=00 is reserved for the
+ * symbol indicating "table start", and @c NN=99 is reserved for the
+ * symbol indicating "table end".
+ *
+ * As an example, suppose that we want to create a "frobnicator"
+ * feature framework, and allow for several independent modules to
+ * provide frobnicating services.  Then we would create a frob.h
+ * header file containing e.g.
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   struct frobnicator {
+ *      const char *name;		// Name of the frobnicator
+ *	void ( *frob ) ( void ); 	// The frobnicating function itself
+ *   };
+ *
+ *   #define __frobnicator __table ( frobnicators, 01 )
+ *
+ * @endcode
  *
- * To define an entry in the "xxx" table:
+ * Any module providing frobnicating services would look something
+ * like
  *
- *  static struct xxx my_xxx __table(xxx,01) = { ... };
+ * @code
  *
- * To access start and end markers for the "xxx" table:
+ *   #include "frob.h"
  *
- *  static struct xxx xxx_start[0] __table_start(xxx);
- *  static struct xxx xxx_end[0] __table_end(xxx);
+ *   static void my_frob ( void ) {
+ *	// Do my frobnicating
+ *	...
+ *   }
  *
- * See init.h and init.c for an example of how these macros are used
- * in practice.
+ *   static struct frob my_frobnicator __frobnicator = {
+ *	.name = "my_frob",
+ *	.frob = my_frob,
+ *   };
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * The central frobnicator code (frob.c) would use the frobnicating
+ * modules as follows
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   #include "frob.h"
+ *
+ *   static struct frob frob_start[0] __table_start ( frobnicators );
+ *   static struct frob frob_end[0] __table_end ( frobnicators );
+ *
+ *   // Call all linked-in frobnicators
+ *   void frob_all ( void ) {
+ *	struct frob *frob;
+ *
+ *      for ( frob = frob_start ; frob < frob_end ; frob++ ) {
+ *         printf ( "Calling frobnicator \"%s\"\n", frob->name );
+ *	   frob->frob ();
+ *	}
+ *   }
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ * See init.h and init.c for a real-life example.
  *
  */
 
 #define __table_section_start(table) __table_section(table,00)
 #define __table_section_end(table) __table_section(table,99)
 
+
+/**
+ * Linker table entry.
+ *
+ * Declares a data structure to be part of a linker table.  Use as
+ * e.g.
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   static struct my_foo __table ( foo, 01 ) = {
+ *      ...
+ *   };
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ */
 #define __table(table,idx) \
 	__attribute__ (( unused, __table_section(table,idx) ))
+
+/**
+ * Linker table start marker.
+ *
+ * Declares a data structure (usually an empty data structure) to be
+ * the start of a linker table.  Use as e.g.
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   static struct foo_start[0] __table_start ( foo );
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ */
 #define __table_start(table) \
 	__attribute__ (( unused, __table_section_start(table) ))
+
+/**
+ * Linker table end marker.
+ *
+ * Declares a data structure (usually an empty data structure) to be
+ * the end of a linker table.  Use as e.g.
+ *
+ * @code
+ *
+ *   static struct foo_end[0] __table_end ( foo );
+ *
+ * @endcode
+ *
+ */
 #define __table_end(table) \
 	__attribute__ (( unused, __table_section_end(table) ))