Kernel Normal Form
Encyclopedia
Kernel normal form, or KNF, is the coding style used in the development of code for the BSD operating systems. Based on the original KNF concept from the Computer Systems Research Group
, it dictates a programming style
to which contributed code should adhere prior to its inclusion into the codebase
. KNF started out as a codification of how Ken Thompson
and Dennis Ritchie
formatted the original UNIX
C
source code. It describes such things as how to name variables, use indents and the use of ANSI C
or K&R C code styles. Each BSD variant has its own KNF rules, which have evolved over time to differ from each other in small ways.
Computer Systems Research Group
The Computer Systems Research Group was a research group at the University of California, Berkeley that was dedicated to enhancing AT&T Unix operating system and funded by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.- History :...
, it dictates a programming style
Programming style
Programming style is a set of rules or guidelines used when writing the source code for a computer program. It is often claimed that following a particular programming style will help programmers to read and understand source code conforming to the style, and help to avoid introducing errors.A...
to which contributed code should adhere prior to its inclusion into the codebase
Codebase
The term codebase, or code base, is used in software development to mean the whole collection of source code used to build a particular application or component. Typically, the codebase includes only human-written source code files, and not, e.g., source code files generated by other tools or...
. KNF started out as a codification of how Ken Thompson
Ken Thompson
Kenneth Lane Thompson , commonly referred to as ken in hacker circles, is an American pioneer of computer science...
and Dennis Ritchie
Dennis Ritchie
Dennis MacAlistair Ritchie , was an American computer scientist who "helped shape the digital era." He created the C programming language and, with long-time colleague Ken Thompson, the UNIX operating system...
formatted the original UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
C
C (programming language)
C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
source code. It describes such things as how to name variables, use indents and the use of ANSI C
ANSI C
ANSI C refers to the family of successive standards published by the American National Standards Institute for the C programming language. Software developers writing in C are encouraged to conform to the standards, as doing so aids portability between compilers.-History and outlook:The first...
or K&R C code styles. Each BSD variant has its own KNF rules, which have evolved over time to differ from each other in small ways.