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+.. SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
+
+==============================
+Netlink spec C code generation
+==============================
+
+This document describes how Netlink specifications are used to render
+C code (uAPI, policies etc.). It also defines the additional properties
+allowed in older families by the ``genetlink-c`` protocol level,
+to control the naming.
+
+For brevity this document refers to ``name`` properties of various
+objects by the object type. For example ``$attr`` is the value
+of ``name`` in an attribute, and ``$family`` is the name of the
+family (the global ``name`` property).
+
+The upper case is used to denote literal values, e.g. ``$family-CMD``
+means the concatenation of ``$family``, a dash character, and the literal
+``CMD``.
+
+The names of ``#defines`` and enum values are always converted to upper case,
+and with dashes (``-``) replaced by underscores (``_``).
+
+If the constructed name is a C keyword, an extra underscore is
+appended (``do`` -> ``do_``).
+
+Globals
+=======
+
+``c-family-name`` controls the name of the ``#define`` for the family
+name, default is ``$family-FAMILY-NAME``.
+
+``c-version-name`` controls the name of the ``#define`` for the version
+of the family, default is ``$family-FAMILY-VERSION``.
+
+``max-by-define`` selects if max values for enums are defined as a
+``#define`` rather than inside the enum.
+
+Definitions
+===========
+
+Constants
+---------
+
+Every constant is rendered as a ``#define``.
+The name of the constant is ``$family-$constant`` and the value
+is rendered as a string or integer according to its type in the spec.
+
+Enums and flags
+---------------
+
+Enums are named ``$family-$enum``. The full name can be set directly
+or suppressed by specifying the ``enum-name`` property.
+Default entry name is ``$family-$enum-$entry``.
+If ``name-prefix`` is specified it replaces the ``$family-$enum``
+portion of the entry name.
+
+Boolean ``render-max`` controls creation of the max values
+(which are enabled by default for attribute enums).
+
+Attributes
+==========
+
+Each attribute set (excluding fractional sets) is rendered as an enum.
+
+Attribute enums are traditionally unnamed in netlink headers.
+If naming is desired ``enum-name`` can be used to specify the name.
+
+The default attribute name prefix is ``$family-A`` if the name of the set
+is the same as the name of the family and ``$family-A-$set`` if the names
+differ. The prefix can be overridden by the ``name-prefix`` property of a set.
+The rest of the section will refer to the prefix as ``$pfx``.
+
+Attributes are named ``$pfx-$attribute``.
+
+Attribute enums end with two special values ``__$pfx-MAX`` and ``$pfx-MAX``
+which are used for sizing attribute tables.
+These two names can be specified directly with the ``attr-cnt-name``
+and ``attr-max-name`` properties respectively.
+
+If ``max-by-define`` is set to ``true`` at the global level ``attr-max-name``
+will be specified as a ``#define`` rather than an enum value.
+
+Operations
+==========
+
+Operations are named ``$family-CMD-$operation``.
+If ``name-prefix`` is specified it replaces the ``$family-CMD``
+portion of the name.
+
+Similarly to attribute enums operation enums end with special count and max
+attributes. For operations those attributes can be renamed with
+``cmd-cnt-name`` and ``cmd-max-name``. Max will be a define if ``max-by-define``
+is ``true``.
+
+Multicast groups
+================
+
+Each multicast group gets a define rendered into the kernel uAPI header.
+The name of the define is ``$family-MCGRP-$group``, and can be overwritten
+with the ``c-define-name`` property.
+
+Code generation
+===============
+
+uAPI header is assumed to come from ``<linux/$family.h>`` in the default header
+search path. It can be changed using the ``uapi-header`` global property.