> > (1) The code that implements the drivers.
> > (2) An *instance* of the use of one of the drivers, specified in the
> > configuration file.
The word "instance" carries a lot of baggage to me; it could refer
too O.O.P., or server processes, or package installs... if a new user goes
looking for too much analogy with one of those models he may get lost.
Perhaps making is very clear at the beginning that an "instance"
is just a "particular driver config", and nothing more, that would prevent
anyone assuming weird stuff like parent/child relationships or spawns (or
whatever).
Just cleaning up the manual to distinguish between "driver" and a
"driver configuration" (or "driver config") would really help. For me,
the confusion hit when the manual basically said "You define a new Foo
with the line 'Foo:'. Then you specify which foo to use in your foo with
a line like ' foo = foo_name'." If it were just clear that
1. A driver is "configured", not "defined", in the config file. I.e.,
changes like:
"Within a driver definition, there are [...blah, blah...]"
"Within a driver configuration, there are [...blah...]"
2. Underlying drivers and a particular config thereof are not the same
thing. I.e.:
"[Section Title] 3.8 Running an individual router"
"[Section Title] 3.8 Running an individual router config"
"The first router in a configuration is often [...blah...]"
"The first router config in the configuration file is often [...blah...]"
This kind of consistency throughout the manual would have
prevented my particular "instance" of confusion. :)
If you define "instance" clearly up front as "a particular
configuration of a driver", then the above examples would change as
follows:
"Within a driver definition, there are [...blah, blah...]"
"Within an instance, there are [...blah...]"
"3.8 Running an individual router"
"3.8 Running a router instance"
"The first router in a configuration is often [...blah...]"
"The first router instance is often [...blah...]"
Finally, once we decide on the correct terminology, I would be
happy to go over the manual making corrections. If the documentation
maintainer will simply email me privately as to the file formats and
processes, I can start submitting diffs (or whatever).
Thank You,
Derek Simkowiak
