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Elektra 0.9.12
Binary

Problem

Binary

  • is the only metadata that allows more values (instead of making the validation stricter)
  • is the only API that modifies metadata
  • creates some inconsistencies in the API (e.g. KEY_FLAG_RO_VALUE is linked to KEY_FLAG_RO_META)

Constraints

  • simplify API

Assumptions

  • byte-array values are a rarely used feature in configuration settings
  • absence of values, i.e., null keys however, is quite common

Considered Alternatives

  • flag for indicating if a value is binary

Decision

  • make keys with untyped value per default (no assumption about type, i.e., byte-array)
  • all current types are not binary, so type = string is the way to indicate a string doesn't
    • contain null bytes
    • is not null (not only indicator of structure without value)
    • uses some well-defined but unspecified text encoding (i.e. not necessarily ASCII or UTF-8)
  • remove binary functionality from keyNew keyVNew keyIsBinary keyIsString keyValue keyGetValueSize keyString keyGetString keySetString keyGetBinary keySetBinary
  • keySetRaw -> keySetValue

Rationale

Implications

  • metadata can also be binary
  • binary types would be possible (e.g. nullable-string)

Related Decisions

Notes