Re: [PATCH 1/5] vsprintf/Documentation: Add X to %*ph extension to output upper case hex

From: Joe Perches
Date: Fri Aug 27 2021 - 22:49:35 EST


On Fri, 2021-08-27 at 11:49 +0300, Andy Shevchenko wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 27, 2021 at 01:08:10AM -0700, Joe Perches wrote:
> > On Fri, 2021-08-27 at 10:48 +0300, Andy Shevchenko wrote:
> > > On Thu, Aug 26, 2021 at 11:43:01AM -0700, Joe Perches wrote:
> > > > A few sysfs output uses of hex arrays are uppercase and are nominally ABI.
> > > >
> > > > Add a mechanism to the existing vsprintf %*ph hex output extension to
> > > > support upper case hex output.
> > >
> > > ...
> > >
> > > > + The preferred output is lowercase
> > > >   %*ph 00 01 02 ... 3f
> > > >   %*phC 00:01:02: ... :3f
> > > >   %*phD 00-01-02- ... -3f
> > > >   %*phN 000102 ... 3f
> > > > + Formats with X are uppercase, used for backwards compatibility
> > > > + %*phX 00 01 02 ... 3F
> > > > + %*phCX 00:01:02: ... :3F
> > > > + %*phDX 00-01-02- ... -3F
> > > > + %*phNX 000102 ... 3F
> > >
> > > Why not using %*pH...?
> >
> > I find X more intelligible.
> >
> > > > + char locase = 0x20; /* ASCII OR'd for lower case see: number() */
> > >
> > > If you use h vs H, you may derive this from (fmt[...] & SMALL).
> >
> > It's not necessary to use any more of the rather limited vsprintf
> > extension namespace.
>
> I understand your concern, but %*ph is quite widely used (I guess top 1 or 2
> among all %p extensions),

Cumulatively 3rd after %pM and %pOF

> its performance degradation with your code may affect
> a lot of other users and hence a kernel as a whole.
>
> So, that's why my proposal stays.

Knock yourself out.

> Of course you may provide a benchmark (btw, where are the test cases for this?)

You are welcome to provide both test cases and benchmarks.
I find the whole thing rather dull.

> for yours and mine variant and we will see if it makes sense to optimize.

It doesn't. Anyone thinking there is a required printf/vsprintf
optimization in the kernel is decidedly barking up the wrong tree.