Merge branch 'bp/sub-process-convert-filter'

Code from "conversion using external process" codepath has been
extracted to a separate sub-process.[ch] module.

* bp/sub-process-convert-filter:
  convert: update subprocess_read_status() to not die on EOF
  sub-process: move sub-process functions into separate files
  convert: rename reusable sub-process functions
  convert: update generic functions to only use generic data structures
  convert: separate generic structures and variables from the filter specific ones
  convert: split start_multi_file_filter() into two separate functions
  pkt-line: annotate packet_writel with LAST_ARG_MUST_BE_NULL
  convert: move packet_write_line() into pkt-line as packet_writel()
  pkt-line: add packet_read_line_gently()
  pkt-line: fix packet_read_line() to handle len < 0 errors
  convert: remove erroneous tests for errno == EPIPE

1 files changed, 59 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/technical/api-sub-process.txt b/Documentation/technical/api-sub-process.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..793508cf3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/technical/api-sub-process.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+sub-process API
+===============
+
+The sub-process API makes it possible to run background sub-processes
+for the entire lifetime of a Git invocation. If Git needs to communicate
+with an external process multiple times, then this can reduces the process
+invocation overhead. Git and the sub-process communicate through stdin and
+stdout.
+
+The sub-processes are kept in a hashmap by command name and looked up
+via the subprocess_find_entry function.  If an existing instance can not
+be found then a new process should be created and started.  When the
+parent git command terminates, all sub-processes are also terminated.
+
+This API is based on the run-command API.
+
+Data structures
+---------------
+
+* `struct subprocess_entry`
+
+The sub-process structure.  Members should not be accessed directly.
+
+Types
+-----
+
+'int(*subprocess_start_fn)(struct subprocess_entry *entry)'::
+
+	User-supplied function to initialize the sub-process.  This is
+	typically used to negotiate the interface version and capabilities.
+
+
+Functions
+---------
+
+`cmd2process_cmp`::
+
+	Function to test two subprocess hashmap entries for equality.
+
+`subprocess_start`::
+
+	Start a subprocess and add it to the subprocess hashmap.
+
+`subprocess_stop`::
+
+	Kill a subprocess and remove it from the subprocess hashmap.
+
+`subprocess_find_entry`::
+
+	Find a subprocess in the subprocess hashmap.
+
+`subprocess_get_child_process`::
+
+	Get the underlying `struct child_process` from a subprocess.
+
+`subprocess_read_status`::
+
+	Helper function to read packets looking for the last "status=<foo>"
+	key/value pair.