Re: [dpdk-dev] [RFC] Yet another option for DPDK options

["Wiles, Keith" <keith.wiles@intel.com>]

Sorry, I deleted all of the text as it was getting a bit long.

Here are my thoughts as of now, which is a combination of many suggestions I read from everyone’s emails. I hope this is not too hard to understand.

- Break out the current command line options out of the DPDK common code and move into a new lib.
  - At this point I was thinking of keeping the rte_eal_init(args, argv) API and just have it pass the args/argv to the new lib to create the data storage.
     - Maybe move the rte_eal_init() API to the new lib or keep it in the common eal code. Do not want to go hog wild.
  - The rte_eal_init(args, argv) would then call to the new API rte_eal_initialize(void), which in turn queries the data storage. (still thinking here)
  - The example apps args needs to be passed to the examples as is for now, then we can convert them one at a time if needed.

- I would like to keep the storage of the data separate from the file parser as they can use the ‘set’ routines to build the data storage up.
  - Keeping them split allows for new parsers to be created, while keeping the data storage from changing.
- The rte_cfg code could be modified to use the new configuration if someone wants to take on that task ☺

- Next is the data storage and how we can access the data in a clean simple way.
- I want to have some simple level of hierarchy in the data.
  - Having a string containing at least two levels “primary:secondary”.
     - Primary string is something like “EAL” or “Pktgen” or “testpmd” to divide the data storage into logical major groups.
        - The primary allows us to have groups and then we can have common secondary strings in different groups if needed.
     - Secondary string can be whatever the developer of that group would like e.g. simple “EAL:foobar”, two levels “testpmd:foo.bar”

  - The secondary string is treated as a single string if it has a hierarchy or not, but referencing a single value in the data storage.
     - Key value pairs (KVP) or a hashmap data store.
        - The key here is the whole string “EAL:foobar” not just “foobar” secondary string.
           - If we want to have the two split I am ok with that as well meaning the API would be:
             rte_map_get(mapObj, “EAL”, “foo.bar”);
             rte_map_set(mapObj, “EAL”, “foo.bar”, value);
           - Have the primary as a different section in the data store, would allow for dumping that section maybe easier, not sure.
              - I am leaning toward
     - Not going to try splitting up the string or parse it as it is up to the developer to make it unique in the data store.
- Use a code design to make the strings simple to use without having typos be a problem.
   - Not sure what the design is yet, but I do not want to have to concat two string or split strings in the code.

This is as far as I have gotten and got tired of typing ☺

I hope this will satisfy most everyone’s needs for now.


Regards,
Keith