NFD » ndn-cxx

20141022 conference call decides that Name is always absolute.

Name::getSubName and Name::append(Name) APIs are used to translate between routable Names and unroutable Names.

Examples:

Name path("/repo/file1");
Name prefix("/att/alice");

// combine routable Name
Name routable = Name(prefix).path(filename);

// extract unroutable Name
Name path1 = Name(routable).getSubName(prefix.size());

How could an application assure the last N components make a valid absolute Name without first inspecting the length?

App can inspect the length, if it wants/needs. Consider this negative index a convenience method: it's easier and more obvious to write getSubName(-3, 2) instead of name.getSubName(name.size() - 3, 2)

Please describe a complete application scenario where a fixed number of components from the back is assured to be a valid absolute Name.

20150612 conference call decides to introduce a PartialName concept.

/** \brief represents a Name
 *  \detail a Name is always absolute
 */
class Name;

/** \brief represents a sequence of Components
 *  \detail a PartialName is not necessarily absolute
 */
typedef Name PartialName;

Name::getSubName should return PartialName, and should support negative index.

Name::append should accept PartialName instead of Name.

Basically this issue needs:

1. Changes in the function Name::getSubName

   1.1 Change the return to PartialName

   1.2 Start accepting negative index

2. Changes in the function Name::append

   2.1 Change accepted parameter to PartialName

Questions:

1. What should happen when the negative value if > then the size of the name?

What type should we have in the input parameters? size_t is unsigned int by definition. Shall we try to keep it or shall we change to another type?

Answer to note-12: change the parameter to ssize_t.