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git-svn-id: svn://svn.mplayerhq.hu/mplayer/trunk@22220 b3059339-0415-0410-9bf9-f77b7e298cf2
135 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
135 lines
3.9 KiB
Plaintext
Code documentation guidelines
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=============================
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About this guide
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----------------
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Due to the ever increasing complexity and size of MPlayer it became quite hard
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to maintain the code and add new features. Part of this problem is the lack
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of proper documentation what the code in question does and how it is doing it.
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To tackle this problem every part of MPlayer should follow these guidelines
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on what and how code should be documented.
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Doxygen
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-------
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MPlayer uses doxygen for its code documentation. It generates HTML files
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which contain specially tagged comment lines from the code including
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cross references. To generate it type `make doxygen` in the source root
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directory. It will generate the files in DOCS/tech/doxygen. To clear them
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again, you can use `make doxygen_clean`.
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For further information about doxygen and its sources please have a look
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at their website: http://doxygen.sf.net
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What should be documented?
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--------------------------
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- every function, no matter whether it is globally or just locally used
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* what the function does
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* all parameters and return values of the function and their valid ranges
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* all side effects (to passed parameters, globals etc)
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* all assumptions made within the function
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- global, file local and important variables
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* what it is used for
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* its valid range
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* where it is set (optional)
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* where validity checking is done (optional, mandatory for variables which
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are set by something external, e.g. user parameters, file information etc)
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- #define, typedefs, structs
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* all global definitions
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* all local definitions whose use is not immediately clear by their name
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(as a rule of thumb, it's better to document too much than not enough)
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* all dependencies
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- non-trivial parts of the code
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* tricky parts
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* important parts
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* special side effects
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* assumptions of the code
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* string operations and why they are safe
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- workarounds
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* why they are needed
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* how they work
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* what side effects they have
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If you are unsure whether a comment is needed or not, add one.
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How should it be documented?
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----------------------------
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All comments should be in correct and clear English. Any other language is
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not allowed. The language used should be kept simple as the code will be
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read mostly by non-native speakers. For function and variable documentation,
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a style usable by doxygen should be used. See section 3 "Documenting the code"
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of the doxygen manual for an introduction. A very short overview follows:
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Doxygen includes only special comments in the documentation, those are:
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/// This is a line used by doxygen.
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/** this one, too */
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/** these
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here
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of
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course,
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too */
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//! this form can be also used
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// This line isn't included in doxygen documentation.
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/* Neither is this. */
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Doxygen comments should come before the definition:
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/** description */
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int a_variable;
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However, you can use '<' to describe things AFTER they are defined, like this:
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int some_var; ///< description
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#define foo(x) (x + 2) /**< returns x plus 2 */
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There are a couple of special tags for doxygen:
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\brief <one line text>
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Gives a brief description of a function.
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\param <parameter> <text>
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Describes a specific <parameter>.
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\return <text>
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Describes the return value.
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\a <word>
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Mark next word as a reference to a parameter.
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\e <word>
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Use italic font for the next word.
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\b <word>
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Use bold font for the next word.
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\c <word>
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Use typewriter font for the next word.
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\sa <references>
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Adds a section with crossreferences.
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\bug <text>
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Describe a known bug.
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\todo <text>
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Add a todo list.
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\attention <text>
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Add a section for something that needs attention.
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\warning <text>
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Add a section for a warning.
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\anchor <refname>
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Set an invisible anchor which can be used to create a link with \ref.
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\ref <refname> [<text>]
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Add a link to <refname>.
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For a complete list of tags please read section 20 "Special commands" of the
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doxygen manual.
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