[squid-dev] [PATCH] Response delay pools

[Alex Rousskov]

On 01/22/2017 12:52 PM, Amos Jeffries wrote:
>  - a config line should have roughly this generic structure:
>    1) directive (first label, which determines the syntax)
>    2) parameters (mandatory values, fixed positions for each one)
>    3) options (values that may be absent, using key[=value] syntax).
>    4) acl-list (if relevant)


Just for the record in case somebody tries to use the above as guidance
for future work:

Item (2) is too rigid IMO: Required parameters may be named. And if
there is more than one or two required parameters, they _should_ be
named. Named parameters/options should not require fixed positions, of
course.

The "absent values" remark in item (3) applies to all all key=value
parameters, both optional and required -- a named parameter value may be
optional even if the parameter itself is required.


In summary, new directives should usually look like this:

  1) directive name
  2) unnamed fixed-position parameter or two; keep this list short!
  3) named any-position parameters
  4) acl-list; may contain actions

Items 2, 3, and/or 4 may not be present/supported.

Some parameters may be optional.

Named parameters have name=value syntax. Parameter names use dashes
(boo-bar), not underscores/camelCase/etc. (not foo_bar/fooBar/foobar).
Some named key=value parameters may support optional values.

I hope this is all common-sense and not be controversial!


For directives that support ACLs, is the acl-list in (4) always optional
(with either "all" or "allow all" as the default)?


@Eduard, I believe the last version of your patch satisfies the above
rules but please correct me if I am wrong.


Thank you,

Alex.