Kernel Code Clean-Up - 11/05/03
-------------------------------

This document contains guidelines for cleaning-up kernel code

- Lists

  Alot of internal kernel-data is managed in lists
  (e.g. the mountlist, open files, task etc). As
  all these lists are principally simple one-dimensional
  arrays, we should provide some basic list-library
  with functions managing a list. This will save
  C-code and will make the list-management more
  reliable.

- Return Values

  All functions shall either return a pointer or
  and integer-value. In both cases a failed function-
  call must return a zero-value to indicate value
  (either = 0 or NULL).

- Boolean Expressions

  Boolean values are defined through the two
  preprocessor-definitions "TRUE (-1)" and
  "FALSE (0)". Whenever a function uses
  boolean-values these definitions shall
  be used.

- Names

  All symbols (functions, variables etc) and definitions
  preced a letter and a "_" in their name. Names have
  the following categories:

	Letter	Meaning		Example
	---------------------------------------
	k_	kernel-symbol	k_getrootdir ()
	s_	struct-type	s_dir
	c_	constant	c_MAXNOPENFILES
	m_	macro		m_memset

  Names should always be short and self-explaining.
  In case of conversion-functions we normally use
  the following mask:

  	<oldformat>_to_<newformat>, e.g.:

	time_to_msecs ()

- Function Parameters

  All kernel functions should always internally use
  either pointers or values as parameters. They
  must not take strings for values. E.g.: the
  function k_mount will take only directory-entries
  as parameters instead of pathnames stored in strings.
  Only functions which directly interact with user-
  programs may-use such user-friendly types.