Re: [patch 1/3] kmsg: Kernel message catalog macros.

From: Rick Troth <rmt@casita.net>
To: Rusty Russell <rusty@rustcorp.com.au>
Cc: "Martin Schwidefsky" <schwidefsky@de.ibm.com>,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-s390@vger.kernel.org,
	lf_kernel_messages@lists.linux-foundation.org,
	"Andrew Morton" <akpm@linux-foundation.org>,
	"Michael Holzheu" <holzheu@de.ibm.com>,
	"Gerrit Huizenga" <gh@us.ibm.com>,
	"Greg Kroah-Hartman" <gregkh@suse.de>,
	"Randy Dunlap" <randy.dunlap@oracle.com>,
	"Jan Kara" <jack@suse.cz>, "Pavel Machek" <pavel@ucw.cz>,
	"Sam Ravnborg" <sam@ravnborg.org>,
	"Joe Perches" <joe@perches.com>,
	"Jochen Voß" <jochen.voss@googlemail.com>,
	"Kunai Takashi" <kunai@linux-foundation.jp>,
	"Tim Bird" <tim.bird@am.sony.com>
Subject: Re: [patch 1/3] kmsg: Kernel message catalog macros.
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:05:30 -0400 (EDT)	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.58.0808130921180.14304@jeremiah.casita.net> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <200808131433.02966.rusty@rustcorp.com.au>

On Wed, 13 Aug 2008, Rusty Russell wrote:
>
> Can you hash the format string to generate the id?  6 hex digits should be
> enough, and your tool can check for clashes.  As it's bad form to have
> identical strings for different semantics anyway, this seems to make sense.

I second this suggestion (or propose something like it).
A short hash or even an index into some off-line table
lets the user hit the right page when looking for an explanation.

I've been using a similar (and perhaps ugly to some eyes)
numeric message catalog for years (with token substitution and all).
The catalogs can be translated and then replaced with local language
so the users don't have to learn English (or French, or German,
or Japanese, or Chinese).

-- R;   <><