[dpdk-stable] [PATCH v1 2/3] devargs: make bus key parsing optional

[Gaëtan Rivet]

On Tue, Oct 5, 2021, at 17:54, Xueming Li wrote:
> Global devargs syntax is used as device iteration filter like
> "class=vdpa", a devargs without bus args is valid from parsing
> perspective.
>
> This patch makes bus args optional.
>
> Fixes: d2a66ad79480 ("bus: add device arguments name parsing")
> Cc: stable at dpdk.org

I agree with the change, but I'm not sure it should go into stable.

The question goes further than that: is there a spec describing the valid
syntax to users, that would allow to say the current parsing is buggy?
I haven't found it in the doc.

If there is a change such as this one, it should also be notified in the release notes.
This is user-facing.

So, not saying you should do it and not part of this patch, but a doc might help
in doc/guides/howto maybe. The general grammar of a devargs could be formally
described (in BNF?).

Each layers should document their supported keys as well. Not sure it would be better
gathered in a single file or within each driver.

Now that the global syntax has been enabled for users, it should be documented.

>
> Signed-off-by: Xueming Li <xuemingl at nvidia.com>

For this patch and beside the stable considerations,
Reviewed-by: Gaetan Rivet <grive at u256.net>

-- 
Gaetan Rivet