lib/list_sort.c
Source file repositories/reference/linux-study-clean/lib/list_sort.c
File Facts
- System
- Linux kernel
- Corpus path
lib/list_sort.c- Extension
.c- Size
- 8245 bytes
- Lines
- 248
- Domain
- Kernel Services
- Bucket
- lib
- Inferred role
- Kernel Services: exported/initcall integration point
- Status
- integration implementation candidate
Why This File Exists
Shared kernel service surface used by multiple subsystems, including helpers, cryptography, virtualization support, and async I/O infrastructure.
- Shared kernel service surface used by multiple subsystems, including helpers, cryptography, virtualization support, and async I/O infrastructure.
- Exports symbols or registers init work; inspect boot/module ordering and who consumes the exported contract.
- Defines or uses C structs; map object ownership, embedded links, reference counts, and lock ownership.
Dependency Surface
linux/compiler.hlinux/export.hlinux/list_sort.hlinux/list.h
Detected Declarations
function mergefunction merge_finalfunction list_sortexport list_sort
Annotated Snippet
if (cmp(priv, a, b) <= 0) {
*tail = a;
tail = &a->next;
a = a->next;
if (!a) {
*tail = b;
break;
}
} else {
*tail = b;
tail = &b->next;
b = b->next;
if (!b) {
*tail = a;
break;
}
}
}
return head;
}
/*
* Combine final list merge with restoration of standard doubly-linked
* list structure. This approach duplicates code from merge(), but
* runs faster than the tidier alternatives of either a separate final
* prev-link restoration pass, or maintaining the prev links
* throughout.
*/
__attribute__((nonnull(2,3,4,5)))
static void merge_final(void *priv, list_cmp_func_t cmp, struct list_head *head,
struct list_head *a, struct list_head *b)
{
struct list_head *tail = head;
for (;;) {
/* if equal, take 'a' -- important for sort stability */
if (cmp(priv, a, b) <= 0) {
tail->next = a;
a->prev = tail;
tail = a;
a = a->next;
if (!a)
break;
} else {
tail->next = b;
b->prev = tail;
tail = b;
b = b->next;
if (!b) {
b = a;
break;
}
}
}
/* Finish linking remainder of list b on to tail */
tail->next = b;
do {
b->prev = tail;
tail = b;
b = b->next;
} while (b);
/* And the final links to make a circular doubly-linked list */
tail->next = head;
head->prev = tail;
}
/**
* list_sort - sort a list
* @priv: private data, opaque to list_sort(), passed to @cmp
* @head: the list to sort
* @cmp: the elements comparison function
*
* The comparison function @cmp must return > 0 if @a should sort after
* @b ("@a > @b" if you want an ascending sort), and <= 0 if @a should
* sort before @b *or* their original order should be preserved. It is
* always called with the element that came first in the input in @a,
* and list_sort is a stable sort, so it is not necessary to distinguish
* the @a < @b and @a == @b cases.
*
* The comparison function must adhere to specific mathematical properties
* to ensure correct and stable sorting:
* - Antisymmetry: cmp(@a, @b) must return the opposite sign of
* cmp(@b, @a).
* - Transitivity: if cmp(@a, @b) <= 0 and cmp(@b, @c) <= 0, then
* cmp(@a, @c) <= 0.
*
* This is compatible with two styles of @cmp function:
* - The traditional style which returns <0 / =0 / >0, or
Annotation
- Immediate include surface: `linux/compiler.h`, `linux/export.h`, `linux/list_sort.h`, `linux/list.h`.
- Detected declarations: `function merge`, `function merge_final`, `function list_sort`, `export list_sort`.
- Atlas domain: Kernel Services / lib.
- Implementation status: integration implementation candidate.
Implementation Notes
- This generated page is the file-by-file coverage layer; curated subsystem chapters should link here when they synthesize a multi-file control flow.
- Core OS pages should be promoted from atlas-only to deep-reviewed when they explain data structures, invariants, locking, lifecycle, and C implementation snippets.
- Driver-family pages are intentionally pattern-oriented unless they are part of the selected PCIe/NVMe representative device path.