Contributions
-------------
- - Patches should be sent to the development mailinglist at
+ - In order to contribute you should ideally clone the git repository and
+ let us know (preferably via IRC, or via the mailing list) from where to
+ pull/review your changes. You can use github.com, or any other public git
+ hosting site.
+
+ - Alternatively, patches can be sent to the development mailinglist at
sigrok-devel@lists.sourceforge.net (please subscribe to the list first).
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/sigrok-devel
- - Alternatively, you can also clone the git repository and let us know
- from where to pull/review your changes. You can use gitorious.org,
- github.com, or any other public git hosting site.
-
Adding a new hardware driver
----------------------------
- Generally avoid assigning values to variables at declaration time,
especially so for complex and/or run-time dependent values.
- - Consistently use g_try_malloc() / g_try_malloc0(). Do not use standard
+ - Consistently use g_*malloc() / g_*malloc0(). Do not use standard
malloc()/calloc() if it can be avoided (sometimes other libs such
as libftdi can return malloc()'d memory, for example).
- Always properly match allocations with the proper *free() functions. If
- glib's g_try_malloc()/g_try_malloc0() was used, use g_free() to free the
+ glib's g_*malloc()/g_*malloc0() was used, use g_free() to free the
memory. Otherwise use standard free(). Never use the wrong function!
- - Never use g_malloc() or g_malloc0(). These functions do not return NULL
- if not enough memory is available but rather lead to an exit() or segfault
- instead. This behaviour is not acceptable for libraries.
- Use g_try_malloc()/g_try_malloc0() instead and check the return value.
+ - We assume that "small" memory allocations (< 1MB) will always succeed.
+ Thus, it's fine to use g_malloc() or g_malloc0() for allocations of
+ simple/small structs and such (instead of using g_try_malloc()), and
+ there's no need to check the return value.
+
+ Do use g_try_malloc() or g_try_malloc0() for large (>= 1MB) allocations
+ and check the return value.
- You should never print any messages (neither to stdout nor stderr nor
elsewhere) "manually" via e.g. printf() or g_log() or similar functions.