Re: QMP introspecting device props common to a bus type

[Gerd Hoffmann]

  Hi,

> device-list-properties uses module_object_class_by_name(), requires the
> result to be a concrete device type, iterates over QOM properties with
> object_property_iter_init() / object_property_iter_next(), skipping
> properties named "type", "realized", "hotpluggable", "hotplugged",
> "parent_bus", and any whose starts with "legacy-".
> 
> Paolo, can you remind us why we skip the "legacy-FOO" properties?
> 
> qom-list-properties uses object_class_by_name(), requires an object type
> (an interface won't do).  If it's abstract, it iterates with
> object_class_property_iter_init() / object_property_iter_next(), else
> with object_property_iter_init() / object_property_iter_next().  It
> doesn't skip properties.
> 
> Looks like device-list-properties has become[*] pretty much redundant
> *except* for the difference between module_object_class_by_name() and
> object_class_by_name().
> 
> Gerd, you changed device-list-properties from object_class_by_name() to
> module_object_class_by_name() in commit 7ab6e7fcce.  Should
> qom-list-properties be changed, too?

Makes sense.  We already have non-device modular objects
(some chardevs).

> If yes, is there any reason to use
> object_class_by_name() for looking up user-provided type names in QMP
> commands?

I've tried to be conservative and call module_object_class_by_name()
only in places where it is actually needed.  Reason one being the extra
overhead.  But maybe this isn't too bad given the extra module code runs
only on lookup failures.  Reason two is to avoid modules being loaded by
accident even when not needed.  This needs checking when you try drop
object_class_by_name().  A VM without --for example -- qxl device should
not load the qxl module.

take care,
  Gerd