subtle "algorithm" definition issue.

[David Relson]

At 01:13 PM 11/3/02, Matthias Andree wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've tried to clean up the source a bit, and I found that bogofilter.h
>contained a definition of the algorithm variable. I don't think this is
>right, and removing it indeed revealed a problem: bogoutil needs the
>algorithm, but never initializes it properly.
>
>Change this line in bogofilter.h
>
>enum algorithm { AL_GRAHAM, AL_ROBINSON } algorithm;
>
>to
>
>enum algorithm { AL_GRAHAM = 1, AL_ROBINSON };
>
>You'll then find that bogoutil no longer compiles, and the necessary
>dependency flow is intricate.
>
>wordlists.c:setup_lists calls init_list with GOOD_BIAS, which itself
>depends on algorithm:
>
>bogofilter.h:18:
>#define GOOD_BIAS (algorithm == AL_GRAHAM ? GRAHAM_GOOD_BIAS : 
>ROBINSON_GOOD_BIAS)
>
>I'm unsure how the interfaces must be changed to make this clear. I
>wondered if I should just add enum algorithm algorithm = AL_GRAHAM; to
>bogoutil, but that does not look right to me.
>
>Opinions appreciated.

Matthias,

The statement in bogofilter.h wasn't intended to declare the variable.  It 
probably should be the enum statement in your change.  However, when I do 
that, I see that global variable "algorithm" is used in programs 
bogofilter, bogoutil, configtest, and debugtest.  Bogofilter has at least 
one other global variable that I see declared in the main routines of 
several programs, i.e. run_type.

This, and the implementation of config.c, leads to the broader questions:

         Where do global variables belong?
         Where do variables for configuration options belong?

The answer that comes to mind first is:

         create a globals.c to hold run_type, algorithm, etc.
         use config.c as the home for configuration options.

I suspect some variables fit both categories (config and global).  I doubt 
there'll be any code in globals.c, so maybe it shouldn't even 
exist.  Perhaps we should put them all in config.c.

David