@setfilename standards.info
@settitle GNU Coding Standards
@c This date is automagically updated when you save this file:
-@set lastupdate December 11, 2009
+@set lastupdate March 25, 2010
@c %**end of header
@dircategory GNU organization
The GNU coding standards, last updated @value{lastupdate}.
Copyright @copyright{} 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999,
-2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software
+2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Free Software
Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
@url{http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnustandards-commit}.
Archives are also available there.
-Corrections or suggestions for this document should be sent to
-@email{bug-standards@@gnu.org}. If you make a suggestion, please include a
-suggested new wording for it; our time is limited. We prefer a context
-diff to the @file{standards.texi} or @file{make-stds.texi} files, but if
-you don't have those files, please mail your suggestion anyway.
+@cindex @code{bug-standards@@gnu.org} email address
+@cindex Savannah repository for gnustandards
+@cindex gnustandards project repository
+Please send corrections or suggestions for this document to
+@email{bug-standards@@gnu.org}. If you make a suggestion, please
+include a suggested new wording for it, to help us consider the
+suggestion efficiently. We prefer a context diff to the Texinfo
+source, but if that's difficult for you, you can make a context diff
+for some other version of this document, or propose it in any way that
+makes it clear. The source repository for this document can be found
+at @url{http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/gnustandards}.
These standards cover the minimum of what is important when writing a
GNU package. Likely, the need for additional standards will come up.
GCC developers many hours, or even days, per year.
In the case of function-like macros like @code{REVERSIBLE_CC_MODE} in
-GCC which cannot be simply used in @code{if( ...)} statements, there is
+GCC which cannot be simply used in @code{if (...)} statements, there is
an easy workaround. Simply introduce another macro
@code{HAS_REVERSIBLE_CC_MODE} as in the following example:
avoid this problem by creating temporary files in this manner:
@example
-fd = open(filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0600);
+fd = open (filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL, 0600);
@end example
@noindent
@cindex gtk+
When you write a program that provides a graphical user interface,
-please make it work with X Windows and the GTK+ toolkit unless the
-functionality specifically requires some alternative (for example,
-``displaying jpeg images while in console mode'').
+please make it work with the X Window System and the GTK+ toolkit
+unless the functionality specifically requires some alternative (for
+example, ``displaying jpeg images while in console mode'').
In addition, please provide a command-line interface to control the
functionality. (In many cases, the graphical user interface can be a
@item LGPL
GNU Lesser General Public License, @url{http://www.gnu.org/@/licenses/@/lgpl.html}.
-@item GPL/Guile
-GNU GPL with the exception for Guile; for example, GPLv3+/Guile means
-the GNU GPL version 3 or later, with the extra exception for Guile.
-
@item GPL/Ada
GNU GPL with the exception for Ada.
@item X11
The simple non-copyleft license used for most versions of the X Window
-system, @url{http://www.xfree86.org/@/3.3.6/@/COPYRIGHT2.html#3}.
+System, @url{http://www.xfree86.org/@/3.3.6/@/COPYRIGHT2.html#3}.
@item Zlib
The license for Zlib, @url{http://www.gzip.org/@/zlib/@/zlib_license.html}.
The change log file is normally called @file{ChangeLog} and covers an
entire directory. Each directory can have its own change log, or a
-directory can use the change log of its parent directory--it's up to
+directory can use the change log of its parent directory---it's up to
you.
Another alternative is to record change log information with a version
to a @file{ChangeLog} file using @code{rcs2log}; in Emacs, the command
@kbd{C-x v a} (@code{vc-update-change-log}) does the job.
-There's no need to describe the full purpose of the changes or how they
-work together. If you think that a change calls for explanation, you're
-probably right. Please do explain it---but please put the explanation
-in comments in the code, where people will see it whenever they see the
-code. For example, ``New function'' is enough for the change log when
-you add a function, because there should be a comment before the
-function definition to explain what it does.
+There's no need to describe the full purpose of the changes or how
+they work together. However, sometimes it is useful to write one line
+to describe the overall purpose of a change or a batch of changes. If
+you think that a change calls for explanation, you're probably right.
+Please do explain it---but please put the full explanation in comments
+in the code, where people will see it whenever they see the code. For
+example, ``New function'' is enough for the change log when you add a
+function, because there should be a comment before the function
+definition to explain what it does.
In the past, we recommended not mentioning changes in non-software
files (manuals, help files, etc.) in change logs. However, we've been
advised that it is a good idea to include them, for the sake of
copyright records.
-However, sometimes it is useful to write one line to describe the
-overall purpose of a batch of changes.
-
The easiest way to add an entry to @file{ChangeLog} is with the Emacs
command @kbd{M-x add-change-log-entry}. An entry should have an
asterisk, the name of the changed file, and then in parentheses the name
projects / gnulib.git / blobdiff