Re: [net-next PATCH v3 3/3] net: phy: add support for PHY package MMD read/write

[Jeff Johnson <quic_jjohnson@quicinc.com>]

On 12/5/2023 10:14 AM, Russell King (Oracle) wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 05, 2023 at 09:44:05AM -0800, Jeff Johnson wrote:
>> So in my experience a function prototype IS the function definition, and
>> the actual function is just the implementation of that definition.
>>
>> But that thinking obviously isn't shared by others.
> 
> Interestingly, the view that a function prototype is a function
> definition does not seem to be shared by w3school, Microsoft, IBM,
> and many more.
> 
> If we look at the C99 standard, then 6.9.1 Function definitions gives
> the syntax as including a compound-statement, which is defined as
> requiring the curley braces and contents. Therefore, a function
> definition as defined by the C standard includes its body.
> 

Note I was speaking in terms of functional languages in general, not C
specifically. Perhaps I should have used the term "specification"
instead of "definition" (which would align with the Ada terminology).

Having worked with closed-source systems, especially VxWorks, for many
years (where the header files contain all the documentation), it just
seems strange to embed the documentation in the .c files.

/jeff