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-rw-r--r--Documentation/kobject.txt57
1 files changed, 38 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/kobject.txt b/Documentation/kobject.txt
index bdb13817e1e9..668cb83d9561 100644
--- a/Documentation/kobject.txt
+++ b/Documentation/kobject.txt
@@ -59,37 +59,56 @@ nice to have in other objects. The C language does not allow for the
59direct expression of inheritance, so other techniques - such as structure 59direct expression of inheritance, so other techniques - such as structure
60embedding - must be used. 60embedding - must be used.
61 61
62So, for example, the UIO code has a structure that defines the memory 62(As an aside, for those familiar with the kernel linked list implementation,
63region associated with a uio device: 63this is analogous as to how "list_head" structs are rarely useful on
64their own, but are invariably found embedded in the larger objects of
65interest.)
64 66
65struct uio_mem { 67So, for example, the UIO code in drivers/uio/uio.c has a structure that
68defines the memory region associated with a uio device:
69
70 struct uio_map {
66 struct kobject kobj; 71 struct kobject kobj;
67 unsigned long addr; 72 struct uio_mem *mem;
68 unsigned long size; 73 };
69 int memtype;
70 void __iomem *internal_addr;
71};
72 74
73If you have a struct uio_mem structure, finding its embedded kobject is 75If you have a struct uio_map structure, finding its embedded kobject is
74just a matter of using the kobj member. Code that works with kobjects will 76just a matter of using the kobj member. Code that works with kobjects will
75often have the opposite problem, however: given a struct kobject pointer, 77often have the opposite problem, however: given a struct kobject pointer,
76what is the pointer to the containing structure? You must avoid tricks 78what is the pointer to the containing structure? You must avoid tricks
77(such as assuming that the kobject is at the beginning of the structure) 79(such as assuming that the kobject is at the beginning of the structure)
78and, instead, use the container_of() macro, found in <linux/kernel.h>: 80and, instead, use the container_of() macro, found in <linux/kernel.h>:
79 81
80 container_of(pointer, type, member) 82 container_of(pointer, type, member)
83
84where:
85
86 * "pointer" is the pointer to the embedded kobject,
87 * "type" is the type of the containing structure, and
88 * "member" is the name of the structure field to which "pointer" points.
89
90The return value from container_of() is a pointer to the corresponding
91container type. So, for example, a pointer "kp" to a struct kobject
92embedded *within* a struct uio_map could be converted to a pointer to the
93*containing* uio_map structure with:
94
95 struct uio_map *u_map = container_of(kp, struct uio_map, kobj);
96
97For convenience, programmers often define a simple macro for "back-casting"
98kobject pointers to the containing type. Exactly this happens in the
99earlier drivers/uio/uio.c, as you can see here:
100
101 struct uio_map {
102 struct kobject kobj;
103 struct uio_mem *mem;
104 };
81 105
82where pointer is the pointer to the embedded kobject, type is the type of 106 #define to_map(map) container_of(map, struct uio_map, kobj)
83the containing structure, and member is the name of the structure field to
84which pointer points. The return value from container_of() is a pointer to
85the given type. So, for example, a pointer "kp" to a struct kobject
86embedded within a struct uio_mem could be converted to a pointer to the
87containing uio_mem structure with:
88 107
89 struct uio_mem *u_mem = container_of(kp, struct uio_mem, kobj); 108where the macro argument "map" is a pointer to the struct kobject in
109question. That macro is subsequently invoked with:
90 110
91Programmers often define a simple macro for "back-casting" kobject pointers 111 struct uio_map *map = to_map(kobj);
92to the containing type.
93 112
94 113
95Initialization of kobjects 114Initialization of kobjects