Re: [rfc/remote] Tell remote stubs which signals are boring

Jim Blandy
2006-10-26T21:28:38Z

Daniel Jacobowitz <drow@false.org> writes:
> On Thu, Oct 26, 2006 at 02:11:25PM -0700, Jim Blandy wrote:
>> (Thanks, Mark, for asking about this!) Please don't use a space to
>> mark the end of the packet name. At the moment, the remote protocol
>> documentation uses spaces just for clarity; if they become meaningful,
>> then we're going to have to revamp our manual notation --- again.
>>
>> The text in "Overview" suggests using ',', ';', or ':'.
>
> Typo in the documentation. The top of the general query packets page
> is quite clear that it ought to be a colon, and so it is. Thanks.
>
>> > Each listed SIGNAL, using the same signal numbering used in
>>
>> I'd like to see "and syntax" added here --- I assume that's so?
>
> How much syntax is there to a single number?

Well, the numbers might be in the passive voice. Or something.

I had in mind fixed-width vs. variable-width. Fixed-width is used for
signal numbers in the response packets, so I think there's room for
confusion. Signal numbers in the step and continue packets are
documented to be variable-width hex, which is safely permissive; all
I'm suggesting is that those two words be added.

I have run into width concerns working with other parts of the
protocol (for example, with register values in T responses ---
although that's target byte order so it's a bit different), so I think
it's worth something to be explicit.