Re: [PATCH v2 1/2] git-compat-util: add a FREEZ() wrapper around free(ptr); ptr = NULL

From: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>
Date: Jun 10, 2017, 01:40 UTC
Message-ID: <xmqq60g462nd.fsf@gitster.mtv.corp.google.com>
In-Reply-To: <20170609233701.GA7195@whir>

Eric Wong <e@80x24.org> writes:

Show 18 quoted lines

> Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason wrote:
>> 
>> > Add a FREEZ() wrapper marco for the common pattern of freeing a
>> > pointer and assigning NULL to it right afterwards.
>> 
>> I'm conflicted.  On one hand it makes code more concise and makes it
>> easier for people to remember to assign NULL after freeing a variable.
>> On the other hand it makes git more of a custom dialect of C, which
>> may make the code harder to read and hack on for new contributors.
>
> I think this problem could be avoided by using a more explicit
> name, perhaps: "free_and_null"
>
> Seeing the initial subject, I thought this series was short for
> "freeze" (like "creat").

Both match my thoughts exactly ;-)

Show 5 quoted lines

> ...
> I don't see the point of a macro wrapper, forcing the user to
> type out the '&' should drive home the point that the pointer
> gets set to NULL.  I also find capitalization tiring-to-read
> because all characters are the same height.

Sounds sensible.

So make Jonathan's freez_impl a public API and rename it to free_and_null(), perhaps?