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Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 19:45:34 -0400
From: Rich Felker <dalias@...c.org>
To: Glauber Costa <glommer@...udius-systems.com>
Cc: musl@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Re: [PATCH] implement glibc's glob_pattern_p

On Sun, Jul 20, 2014 at 03:17:27AM +0400, Glauber Costa wrote:
> On Sun, Jul 20, 2014 at 12:11 AM, Rich Felker <dalias@...c.org> wrote:
> 
> > On Thu, Jul 17, 2014 at 01:12:55PM +0400, Glauber Costa wrote:
> > > Currently, glob is implemented but glob_pattern_p is not. This function
> > > can trivially be implemented with existing glob machinery, since all it
> > > does is to tell whether or not the string contains special symbols. This
> > > is basically the same logic as is_literal, but with inverted return
> > value.
> > >
> > > The value of the "quote" parameter should also be inverted, since the man
> > > page states that when the quote parameter is *non*-zero, then backslashes
> > > are ignored. is_literal ignores them when useesc is *zero*.
> >
> > I don't where this function would meet any of the criteria for
> > exclusion, and so it looks like a candidate to add. Are there many
> > programs that need it? What is the motivation for adding it?
> >
> > I found this missing symbol while running the rpm binary. I would not say
> there are many programs using it.
> It's the first time I hit it.

Do you have any examples? I ask because, in general when adding
non-standard extensions like this, there are two principles to check:

1. Criteria for exclusion:

   A. Does the interface have multiple incompatible historical
      versions where adding support for one would break software
      expecting the other?

   B. Does adding the interface force a more complex, less robust, or
      otherwise worse implementation of related standard functionality
      or otherwise have significant cost to support?

2. Criteria for inclusion:

   A. Are there existing programs using the interface?

   B. Is there a reason that adding the interface to libc is
      significantly better/easier than patching the programs to work
      without it?

Like I said glob_pattern_p looks okay but I think we should have at
least some documentation of programs using it as justification for
adding it.

Rich

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