Source code organization for standalone (util) functions and types #14721

1. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 9:06 pm on November 13, 2018: member

   It is not clear how to structure and categorize source code files with purely standalone utility functions and types that are not directly related to Bitcoin or Bitcoin Core.

   Currently there are:

   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/master/src/compat (Seems to be a folder to provide util features that are missing on some systems)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/master/src/support (Mostly memory related utils?)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/tree/master/src/util (Some Bitcoin Core related files, but also “cpp backports” such as MakeUnique)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/attributes.h (compiler attributes for function declarations)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/compat.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/fs.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/optional.h (std::optional backport)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/indirectmap.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/limitedmap.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/memusage.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/reverselock.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/reverse_iterator.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/span.h (std::span backport)
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/sync.h
   • https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/master/src/threadsafety.h

   This issue serves as a tracking issue for any brainstorming on the topic.

2. MarcoFalke added the label Brainstorming on Nov 13, 2018
3. MarcoFalke added the label Refactoring on Nov 13, 2018
4. MarcoFalke added the label Docs on Nov 13, 2018
5. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 9:07 pm on November 13, 2018: member

   There has been a recent IRC discussion: http://www.erisian.com.au/bitcoin-core-dev/log-2018-11-13.html#l-321
6. 
   laanwj commented at 10:27 am on November 14, 2018: member

   It is not clear how to structure and categorize source code files with purely standalone utility functions and types that are not directly related to Bitcoin or Bitcoin Core.

   Right - it’s clear they don’t belong in bare /src, but there need to be (at least) clear guidelines what belongs in /src/compat, /src/support and /src/util as they’re all utilities. Maybe some of the directories can be merged, or a better division could be made — though the latter is probably a source of endless shedpainting, as there are different equally valid ways they could be divided up.

7. 
   MarcoFalke commented at 4:16 pm on November 14, 2018: member

   At least for the “c++ backports” (std::option, std::make_unique, std::span, …), we could put them into a ./src/future/ folder? Python did it that way.
8. MarcoFalke renamed this:
   developer doc: Source code organization for standalone (util) functions
   developer doc: Source code organization for standalone (util) functions and types
   on Nov 15, 2018
9. MarcoFalke removed the label Docs on Apr 3, 2019
10. MarcoFalke renamed this:
    developer doc: Source code organization for standalone (util) functions and types
    Source code organization for standalone (util) functions and types
    on Apr 3, 2019
11. 
    MarcoFalke commented at 2:37 pm on November 4, 2021: member

    Closing this, so that the discussion can move to #15732
12. MarcoFalke closed this on Nov 4, 2021

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13. DrahtBot locked this on Nov 4, 2022

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MarcoFalke laanwj

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Brainstorming Refactoring