Issue
Inconsistent use of bool in various parts of Elektra.
Constraints
Assumptions
- needs to be string
- convenience plugins can convert anything to 0 or 1
- type checker plugins can reject everything not 0 or 1
Considered Alternatives
- strictly only allow 0 and 1 (would move validation across the code)
- only check presence or absence (no cascading override of already present key possible)
- use as in CMake (would move convenience across the code)
Decision
Use, depending on what your default should be:
- 0 is false, everything else is true (default is true)
- 1 is true, everything else is false (default is false)
Example:
if ( strcmp(keyString(k), "0")) {/*true*/} else {/*false*/}
if (!strcmp(keyString(k), "1")) {/*true*/} else {/*false*/}
In the documentation it should mention that a bool is used and which is the default.
The type checker plugin should allow
- non-presence (default)
- the string "0"
- the string "1"
The convenience plugin should transform (it might be combined with a plugin that transforms everything lower-case):
- "false", "off", "no" to "0"
- "true", "on", "yes" to "1"
Argument
- most easy to implement
- allows presence to be true
- plugins allow us to convert to any other behaviour
Implications
- change code with different behavior
Related decisions
Notes
See here
