document sigchain api

It's pretty straightforward, but a stripped-down example
never hurts. And we should make clear that it is explicitly
OK to use SIG_DFL and SIG_IGN.

Signed-off-by: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Signed-off-by: Junio C Hamano <gitster@pobox.com>

1 files changed, 41 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-sigchain.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-sigchain.txt
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+sigchain API
+============
+
+Code often wants to set a signal handler to clean up temporary files or
+other work-in-progress when we die unexpectedly. For multiple pieces of
+code to do this without conflicting, each piece of code must remember
+the old value of the handler and restore it either when:
+
+  1. The work-in-progress is finished, and the handler is no longer
+     necessary. The handler should revert to the original behavior
+     (either another handler, SIG_DFL, or SIG_IGN).
+
+  2. The signal is received. We should then do our cleanup, then chain
+     to the next handler (or die if it is SIG_DFL).
+
+Sigchain is a tiny library for keeping a stack of handlers. Your handler
+and installation code should look something like:
+
+------------------------------------------
+  void clean_foo_on_signal(int sig)
+  {
+	  clean_foo();
+	  sigchain_pop(sig);
+	  raise(sig);
+  }
+
+  void other_func()
+  {
+	  sigchain_push_common(clean_foo_on_signal);
+	  mess_up_foo();
+	  clean_foo();
+  }
+------------------------------------------
+
+Handlers are given the typdef of sigchain_fun. This is the same type
+that is given to signal() or sigaction(). It is perfectly reasonable to
+push SIG_DFL or SIG_IGN onto the stack.
+
+You can sigchain_push and sigchain_pop individual signals. For
+convenience, sigchain_push_common will push the handler onto the stack
+for many common signals.