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| -rw-r--r-- | Documentation/technical/api-string-list.txt | 209 |
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diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-string-list.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-string-list.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c08402b12e..0000000000 --- a/Documentation/technical/api-string-list.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,209 +0,0 @@ -string-list API -=============== - -The string_list API offers a data structure and functions to handle -sorted and unsorted string lists. A "sorted" list is one whose -entries are sorted by string value in `strcmp()` order. - -The 'string_list' struct used to be called 'path_list', but was renamed -because it is not specific to paths. - -The caller: - -. Allocates and clears a `struct string_list` variable. - -. Initializes the members. You might want to set the flag `strdup_strings` - if the strings should be strdup()ed. For example, this is necessary - when you add something like git_path("..."), since that function returns - a static buffer that will change with the next call to git_path(). -+ -If you need something advanced, you can manually malloc() the `items` -member (you need this if you add things later) and you should set the -`nr` and `alloc` members in that case, too. - -. Adds new items to the list, using `string_list_append`, - `string_list_append_nodup`, `string_list_insert`, - `string_list_split`, and/or `string_list_split_in_place`. - -. Can check if a string is in the list using `string_list_has_string` or - `unsorted_string_list_has_string` and get it from the list using - `string_list_lookup` for sorted lists. - -. Can sort an unsorted list using `string_list_sort`. - -. Can remove duplicate items from a sorted list using - `string_list_remove_duplicates`. - -. Can remove individual items of an unsorted list using - `unsorted_string_list_delete_item`. - -. Can remove items not matching a criterion from a sorted or unsorted - list using `filter_string_list`, or remove empty strings using - `string_list_remove_empty_items`. - -. Finally it should free the list using `string_list_clear`. - -Example: - ----- -struct string_list list = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP; -int i; - -string_list_append(&list, "foo"); -string_list_append(&list, "bar"); -for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++) - printf("%s\n", list.items[i].string) ----- - -NOTE: It is more efficient to build an unsorted list and sort it -afterwards, instead of building a sorted list (`O(n log n)` instead of -`O(n^2)`). -+ -However, if you use the list to check if a certain string was added -already, you should not do that (using unsorted_string_list_has_string()), -because the complexity would be quadratic again (but with a worse factor). - -Functions ---------- - -* General ones (works with sorted and unsorted lists as well) - -`string_list_init`:: - - Initialize the members of the string_list, set `strdup_strings` - member according to the value of the second parameter. - -`filter_string_list`:: - - Apply a function to each item in a list, retaining only the - items for which the function returns true. If free_util is - true, call free() on the util members of any items that have - to be deleted. Preserve the order of the items that are - retained. - -`string_list_remove_empty_items`:: - - Remove any empty strings from the list. If free_util is true, - call free() on the util members of any items that have to be - deleted. Preserve the order of the items that are retained. - -`print_string_list`:: - - Dump a string_list to stdout, useful mainly for debugging purposes. It - can take an optional header argument and it writes out the - string-pointer pairs of the string_list, each one in its own line. - -`string_list_clear`:: - - Free a string_list. The `string` pointer of the items will be freed in - case the `strdup_strings` member of the string_list is set. The second - parameter controls if the `util` pointer of the items should be freed - or not. - -* Functions for sorted lists only - -`string_list_has_string`:: - - Determine if the string_list has a given string or not. - -`string_list_insert`:: - - Insert a new element to the string_list. The returned pointer can be - handy if you want to write something to the `util` pointer of the - string_list_item containing the just added string. If the given - string already exists the insertion will be skipped and the - pointer to the existing item returned. -+ -Since this function uses xrealloc() (which die()s if it fails) if the -list needs to grow, it is safe not to check the pointer. I.e. you may -write `string_list_insert(...)->util = ...;`. - -`string_list_lookup`:: - - Look up a given string in the string_list, returning the containing - string_list_item. If the string is not found, NULL is returned. - -`string_list_remove_duplicates`:: - - Remove all but the first of consecutive entries that have the - same string value. If free_util is true, call free() on the - util members of any items that have to be deleted. - -* Functions for unsorted lists only - -`string_list_append`:: - - Append a new string to the end of the string_list. If - `strdup_string` is set, then the string argument is copied; - otherwise the new `string_list_entry` refers to the input - string. - -`string_list_append_nodup`:: - - Append a new string to the end of the string_list. The new - `string_list_entry` always refers to the input string, even if - `strdup_string` is set. This function can be used to hand - ownership of a malloc()ed string to a `string_list` that has - `strdup_string` set. - -`string_list_sort`:: - - Sort the list's entries by string value in `strcmp()` order. - -`unsorted_string_list_has_string`:: - - It's like `string_list_has_string()` but for unsorted lists. - -`unsorted_string_list_lookup`:: - - It's like `string_list_lookup()` but for unsorted lists. -+ -The above two functions need to look through all items, as opposed to their -counterpart for sorted lists, which performs a binary search. - -`unsorted_string_list_delete_item`:: - - Remove an item from a string_list. The `string` pointer of the items - will be freed in case the `strdup_strings` member of the string_list - is set. The third parameter controls if the `util` pointer of the - items should be freed or not. - -`string_list_split`:: -`string_list_split_in_place`:: - - Split a string into substrings on a delimiter character and - append the substrings to a `string_list`. If `maxsplit` is - non-negative, then split at most `maxsplit` times. Return the - number of substrings appended to the list. -+ -`string_list_split` requires a `string_list` that has `strdup_strings` -set to true; it leaves the input string untouched and makes copies of -the substrings in newly-allocated memory. -`string_list_split_in_place` requires a `string_list` that has -`strdup_strings` set to false; it splits the input string in place, -overwriting the delimiter characters with NULs and creating new -string_list_items that point into the original string (the original -string must therefore not be modified or freed while the `string_list` -is in use). - - -Data structures ---------------- - -* `struct string_list_item` - -Represents an item of the list. The `string` member is a pointer to the -string, and you may use the `util` member for any purpose, if you want. - -* `struct string_list` - -Represents the list itself. - -. The array of items are available via the `items` member. -. The `nr` member contains the number of items stored in the list. -. The `alloc` member is used to avoid reallocating at every insertion. - You should not tamper with it. -. Setting the `strdup_strings` member to 1 will strdup() the strings - before adding them, see above. -. The `compare_strings_fn` member is used to specify a custom compare - function, otherwise `strcmp()` is used as the default function. |