Re: [Qemu-devel] [PATCH bugfix v1 3/3] qom: object.h: Update object_get_canon_path* doc

[Peter Maydell]

On 20 August 2014 06:08, Peter Crosthwaite <address@hidden> wrote:
> With information about return value ownership.
>
> Signed-off-by: Peter Crosthwaite <address@hidden>
> ---
>
>  include/qom/object.h | 6 ++++--
>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/include/qom/object.h b/include/qom/object.h
> index 8618e49..87de889 100644
> --- a/include/qom/object.h
> +++ b/include/qom/object.h
> @@ -1029,7 +1029,8 @@ Object *object_get_root(void);
>   * object_get_canonical_path_component:
>   *
>   * Returns: The final component in the object's canonical path.  The 
> canonical
> - * path is the path within the composition tree starting from the root.
> + * path is the path within the composition tree starting from the root. The
> + * returned value may not be modified.
>   */
>  const gchar *object_get_canonical_path_component(Object *obj);

The other thing you need to say is that the returned string is
only valid for as long as the object remains a child property
of its parent. (Is that right? I'm not clear. It also sounds like
a really awkward lifetime management requirement, which
suggests to me that really the "return-a-copy" semantics are
nicer.)

Having object_get_canonical_path_component() and
object_get_canonical_path() having different return value
ownership semantics is likely to be a bit confusing I think.

If we do do this I think I'd put the doc comment change in
the same patch that changes the semantics.

thanks
-- PMM