X-Git-Url: https://git.sesse.net/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=doc%2Fdeveloper.texi;h=824fba459180b177c0bee1fc5a51c1dbcf7d2af6;hb=52ed83fa1a7f5170447eff6fad0b6c57119596e9;hp=dd31e3725b614b04525a825a0ea39b3b6c468ae3;hpb=d8538f06e6c046680a0237ca5d3eeee43c2682e4;p=ffmpeg

diff --git a/doc/developer.texi b/doc/developer.texi
index dd31e3725b6..824fba45918 100644
--- a/doc/developer.texi
+++ b/doc/developer.texi
@@ -12,22 +12,22 @@
 @chapter Developers Guide
 
 @section API
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item libavcodec is the library containing the codecs (both encoding and
-decoding). Look at @file{libavcodec/apiexample.c} to see how to use it.
+decoding). Look at @file{doc/examples/avcodec.c} to see how to use it.
 
 @item libavformat is the library containing the file format handling (mux and
 demux code for several formats). Look at @file{avplay.c} to use it in a
-player. See @file{libavformat/output-example.c} to use it to generate
+player. See @file{doc/examples/output.c} to use it to generate
 audio or video streams.
-
 @end itemize
 
-@section Integrating libav in your program
+@section Integrating Libav in your program
 
 Shared libraries should be used whenever is possible in order to reduce
 the effort distributors have to pour to support programs and to ensure
-only the public api is used.
+only the public API is used.
 
 You can use Libav in your commercial program, but you must abide to the
 license, LGPL or GPL depending on the specific features used, please refer
@@ -47,13 +47,15 @@ mailing list.
 
 @subsection Code formatting conventions
 The code is written in K&R C style. That means the following:
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
-The control statements are formatted by putting space betwen the statement
+The control statements are formatted by putting space between the statement
 and parenthesis in the following way:
 @example
 for (i = 0; i < filter->input_count; i++) @{
 @end example
+
 @item
 The case statement is always located at the same level as the switch itself:
 @example
@@ -64,33 +66,44 @@ case AVLINK_STARTINIT:
     av_log(filter, AV_LOG_INFO, "circular filter chain detected");
     return 0;
 @end example
+
 @item
-Braces in function declarations are written on the new line:
+Braces in function definitions are written on the new line:
 @example
 const char *avfilter_configuration(void)
 @{
     return LIBAV_CONFIGURATION;
 @}
 @end example
+
+@item
+Do not check for NULL values by comparison, @samp{if (p)} and
+@samp{if (!p)} are correct; @samp{if (p == NULL)} and @samp{if (p != NULL)}
+are not.
+
 @item
 In case of a single-statement if, no curly braces are required:
 @example
 if (!pic || !picref)
     goto fail;
 @end example
+
 @item
-Do not put spaces immediately inside parenthesis. @samp{if (ret)} is
+Do not put spaces immediately inside parentheses. @samp{if (ret)} is
 a valid style; @samp{if ( ret )} is not.
 @end itemize
 
 There are the following guidelines regarding the indentation in files:
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
 Indent size is 4.
+
 @item
 The TAB character is forbidden outside of Makefiles as is any
 form of trailing whitespace. Commits containing either will be
 rejected by the git repository.
+
 @item
 You should try to limit your code lines to 80 characters; however, do so if
 and only if this improves readability.
@@ -122,7 +135,7 @@ for markup commands, i.e. use @code{@@param} and not @code{\param}.
  * more text ...
  * ...
  */
-typedef struct Foobar@{
+typedef struct Foobar @{
     int var1; /**< var1 description */
     int var2; ///< var2 description
     /** var3 description */
@@ -144,13 +157,17 @@ int myfunc(int my_parameter)
 
 Libav is programmed in the ISO C90 language with a few additional
 features from ISO C99, namely:
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
 the @samp{inline} keyword;
+
 @item
 @samp{//} comments;
+
 @item
 designated struct initializers (@samp{struct s x = @{ .i = 17 @};})
+
 @item
 compound literals (@samp{x = (struct s) @{ 17, 23 @};})
 @end itemize
@@ -162,46 +179,67 @@ clarity and performance.
 All code must compile with recent versions of GCC and a number of other
 currently supported compilers. To ensure compatibility, please do not use
 additional C99 features or GCC extensions. Especially watch out for:
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
 mixing statements and declarations;
+
 @item
 @samp{long long} (use @samp{int64_t} instead);
+
 @item
 @samp{__attribute__} not protected by @samp{#ifdef __GNUC__} or similar;
+
 @item
 GCC statement expressions (@samp{(x = (@{ int y = 4; y; @})}).
 @end itemize
 
 @subsection Naming conventions
-All names are using underscores (_), not CamelCase. For example,
-@samp{avfilter_get_video_buffer} is a valid function name and
-@samp{AVFilterGetVideo} is not. The only exception from this are structure
-names; they should always be in the CamelCase
+All names should be composed with underscores (_), not CamelCase. For example,
+@samp{avfilter_get_video_buffer} is an acceptable function name and
+@samp{AVFilterGetVideo} is not. The only exception are structure
+names; they should always be CamelCase.
+
+There are the following conventions for naming variables and functions:
 
-There are following conventions for naming variables and functions:
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
 For local variables no prefix is required.
+
 @item
-For variables and functions declared as @code{static} no prefixes are required.
+For file-scope variables and functions declared as @code{static}, no prefix
+is required.
+
 @item
-For variables and functions used internally by the library, @code{ff_} prefix
-should be used.
-For example, @samp{ff_w64_demuxer}.
+For variables and functions visible outside of file scope, but only used
+internally by a library, an @code{ff_} prefix should be used,
+e.g. @samp{ff_w64_demuxer}.
+
 @item
-For variables and functions used internally across multiple libraries, use
-@code{avpriv_}. For example, @samp{avpriv_aac_parse_header}.
+For variables and functions visible outside of file scope, used internally
+across multiple libraries, use @code{avpriv_} as prefix, for example,
+@samp{avpriv_report_missing_feature}.
+
 @item
-For exported names, each library has its own prefixes. Just check the existing
-code and name accordingly.
+For externally visible symbols, each library has its own prefix. Check
+the existing code and choose names accordingly.
 @end itemize
 
-@subsection Miscellanous conventions
+Furthermore, name space reserved for the system should not be invaded.
+Identifiers ending in @code{_t} are reserved by
+@url{http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/007904975/functions/xsh_chap02_02.html#tag_02_02_02, POSIX}.
+Also avoid names starting with @code{__} or @code{_} followed by an uppercase
+letter as they are reserved by the C standard. Names starting with @code{_}
+are reserved at the file level and may not be used for externally visible
+symbols. If in doubt, just avoid names starting with @code{_} altogether.
+
+@subsection Miscellaneous conventions
+
 @itemize @bullet
 @item
 fprintf and printf are forbidden in libavformat and libavcodec,
 please use av_log() instead.
+
 @item
 Casts should be used only when necessary. Unneeded parentheses
 should also be avoided if they don't make the code easier to understand.
@@ -211,12 +249,14 @@ should also be avoided if they don't make the code easier to understand.
 In order to configure Vim to follow Libav formatting conventions, paste
 the following snippet into your @file{.vimrc}:
 @example
-" indentation rules for libav: 4 spaces, no tabs
+" Indentation rules for Libav: 4 spaces, no tabs.
 set expandtab
 set shiftwidth=4
 set softtabstop=4
-" allow tabs in Makefiles
-autocmd FileType make set noexpandtab shiftwidth=8 softtabstop=8
+set cindent
+set cinoptions=(0
+" Allow tabs in Makefiles.
+autocmd FileType make,automake set noexpandtab shiftwidth=8 softtabstop=8
 " Trailing whitespace and tabs are forbidden, so highlight them.
 highlight ForbiddenWhitespace ctermbg=red guibg=red
 match ForbiddenWhitespace /\s\+$\|\t/
@@ -226,111 +266,142 @@ autocmd InsertEnter * match ForbiddenWhitespace /\t\|\s\+\%#\@@<!$/
 
 For Emacs, add these roughly equivalent lines to your @file{.emacs.d/init.el}:
 @example
-(setq c-default-style "k&r")
-(setq-default c-basic-offset 4)
-(setq-default indent-tabs-mode nil)
-(setq-default show-trailing-whitespace t)
+(c-add-style "libav"
+             '("k&r"
+               (c-basic-offset . 4)
+               (indent-tabs-mode . nil)
+               (show-trailing-whitespace . t)
+               (c-offsets-alist
+                (statement-cont . (c-lineup-assignments +)))
+               )
+             )
+(setq c-default-style "libav")
 @end example
 
 @section Development Policy
 
 @enumerate
 @item
-   Contributions should be licensed under the LGPL 2.1, including an
-   "or any later version" clause, or the MIT license.  GPL 2 including
-   an "or any later version" clause is also acceptable, but LGPL is
-   preferred.
-@item
-   All the patches MUST be reviewed in the mailing list before they are
-   committed.
-@item
-   The Libav coding style should remain consistent. Changes to
-   conform will be suggested during the review or implemented on commit.
-@item
-   Patches should be generated using @code{git format-patch} or directly sent
-   using @code{git send-email}.
-   Please make sure you give the proper credit by setting the correct author
-   in the commit.
-@item
-   The commit message should have a short first line in the form of
-   @samp{topic: short description} as header, separated by a newline
-   from the body consting in few lines explaining the reason of the patch.
-   Referring to the issue on the bug tracker does not exempt to report an
-   excerpt of the bug.
-@item
-   Work in progress patches should be sent to the mailing list with the [WIP]
-   or the [RFC] tag.
-@item
-   Branches in public personal repos are advised as way to
-   work on issues collaboratively.
-@item
-   You do not have to over-test things. If it works for you and you think it
-   should work for others, send it to the mailing list for review.
-   If you have doubt about portability please state it in the submission so
-   people with specific hardware could test it.
-@item
-   Do not commit unrelated changes together, split them into self-contained
-   pieces. Also do not forget that if part B depends on part A, but A does not
-   depend on B, then A can and should be committed first and separate from B.
-   Keeping changes well split into self-contained parts makes reviewing and
-   understanding them on the commit log mailing list easier. This also helps
-   in case of debugging later on.
-@item
-   Patches that change behavior of the programs (renaming options etc) or
-   public API or ABI should be discussed in depth and possible few days should
-   pass between discussion and commit.
-   Changes to the build system (Makefiles, configure script) which alter
-   the expected behavior should be considered in the same regard.
-@item
-   When applying patches that have been discussed (at length) on the mailing
-   list, reference the thread in the log message.
-@item
-    Subscribe to the
-    @uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel} and
-    @uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-commits, libav-commits}
-    mailing lists.
-    Bugs and possible improvements or general questions regarding commits
-    are discussed on libav-devel. We expect you to react if problems with
-    your code are uncovered.
-@item
-    Update the documentation if you change behavior or add features. If you are
-    unsure how best to do this, send an [RFC] patch to libav-devel.
-@item
-    All discussions and decisions should be reported on the public developer
-    mailing list, so that there is a reference to them.
-    Other media (e.g. IRC) should be used for coordination and immediate
-    collaboration.
-@item
-    Never write to unallocated memory, never write over the end of arrays,
-    always check values read from some untrusted source before using them
-    as array index or other risky things. Always use valgrind to doublecheck.
-@item
-    Remember to check if you need to bump versions for the specific libav
-    parts (libavutil, libavcodec, libavformat) you are changing. You need
-    to change the version integer.
-    Incrementing the first component means no backward compatibility to
-    previous versions (e.g. removal of a function from the public API).
-    Incrementing the second component means backward compatible change
-    (e.g. addition of a function to the public API or extension of an
-    existing data structure).
-    Incrementing the third component means a noteworthy binary compatible
-    change (e.g. encoder bug fix that matters for the decoder).
-@item
-    Compiler warnings indicate potential bugs or code with bad style.
-    If it is a bug, the bug has to be fixed. If it is not, the code should
-    be changed to not generate a warning unless that causes a slowdown
-    or obfuscates the code.
-    If a type of warning leads to too many false positives, that warning
-    should be disabled, not the code changed.
-@item
-    If you add a new file, give it a proper license header. Do not copy and
-    paste it from a random place, use an existing file as template.
+Contributions should be licensed under the
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html, LGPL 2.1},
+including an "or any later version" clause, or, if you prefer
+a gift-style license, the
+@uref{http://opensource.org/licenses/isc-license.txt, ISC} or
+@uref{http://mit-license.org/, MIT} license.
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html, GPL 2} including
+an "or any later version" clause is also acceptable, but LGPL is
+preferred.
+
+@item
+All the patches MUST be reviewed in the mailing list before they are
+committed.
+
+@item
+The Libav coding style should remain consistent. Changes to
+conform will be suggested during the review or implemented on commit.
+
+@item
+Patches should be generated using @code{git format-patch} or directly sent
+using @code{git send-email}.
+Please make sure you give the proper credit by setting the correct author
+in the commit.
+
+@item
+The commit message should have a short first line in the form of
+a @samp{topic: short description} as a header, separated by a newline
+from the body consisting of an explanation of why the change is necessary.
+If the commit fixes a known bug on the bug tracker, the commit message
+should include its bug ID. Referring to the issue on the bug tracker does
+not exempt you from writing an excerpt of the bug in the commit message.
+If the patch is a bug fix which should be backported to stable releases,
+i.e. a non-API/ABI-breaking bug fix, add @code{CC: libav-stable@@libav.org}
+to the bottom of your commit message, and make sure to CC your patch to
+this address, too. Some git setups will do this automatically.
+
+@item
+Work in progress patches should be sent to the mailing list with the [WIP]
+or the [RFC] tag.
+
+@item
+Branches in public personal repos are advised as way to
+work on issues collaboratively.
+
+@item
+You do not have to over-test things. If it works for you and you think it
+should work for others, send it to the mailing list for review.
+If you have doubt about portability please state it in the submission so
+people with specific hardware could test it.
+
+@item
+Do not commit unrelated changes together, split them into self-contained
+pieces. Also do not forget that if part B depends on part A, but A does not
+depend on B, then A can and should be committed first and separate from B.
+Keeping changes well split into self-contained parts makes reviewing and
+understanding them on the commit log mailing list easier. This also helps
+in case of debugging later on.
+
+@item
+Patches that change behavior of the programs (renaming options etc) or
+public API or ABI should be discussed in depth and possible few days should
+pass between discussion and commit.
+Changes to the build system (Makefiles, configure script) which alter
+the expected behavior should be considered in the same regard.
+
+@item
+When applying patches that have been discussed (at length) on the mailing
+list, reference the thread in the log message.
+
+@item
+Subscribe to the
+@uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel} and
+@uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-commits, libav-commits}
+mailing lists.
+Bugs and possible improvements or general questions regarding commits
+are discussed on libav-devel. We expect you to react if problems with
+your code are uncovered.
+
+@item
+Update the documentation if you change behavior or add features. If you are
+unsure how best to do this, send an [RFC] patch to libav-devel.
+
+@item
+All discussions and decisions should be reported on the public developer
+mailing list, so that there is a reference to them.
+Other media (e.g. IRC) should be used for coordination and immediate
+collaboration.
+
+@item
+Never write to unallocated memory, never write over the end of arrays,
+always check values read from some untrusted source before using them
+as array index or other risky things. Always use valgrind to double-check.
+
+@item
+Remember to check if you need to bump versions for the specific libav
+parts (libavutil, libavcodec, libavformat) you are changing. You need
+to change the version integer.
+Incrementing the first component means no backward compatibility to
+previous versions (e.g. removal of a function from the public API).
+Incrementing the second component means backward compatible change
+(e.g. addition of a function to the public API or extension of an
+existing data structure).
+Incrementing the third component means a noteworthy binary compatible
+change (e.g. encoder bug fix that matters for the decoder).
+
+@item
+Compiler warnings indicate potential bugs or code with bad style.
+If it is a bug, the bug has to be fixed. If it is not, the code should
+be changed to not generate a warning unless that causes a slowdown
+or obfuscates the code.
+If a type of warning leads to too many false positives, that warning
+should be disabled, not the code changed.
+
+@item
+If you add a new file, give it a proper license header. Do not copy and
+paste it from a random place, use an existing file as template.
 @end enumerate
 
 We think our rules are not too hard. If you have comments, contact us.
 
-Note, some rules were borrowed from the MPlayer project.
-
 @section Submitting patches
 
 First, read the @ref{Coding Rules} above if you did not yet, in particular
@@ -350,12 +421,6 @@ The tool is located in the tools directory.
 Run the @ref{Regression Tests} before submitting a patch in order to verify
 it does not cause unexpected problems.
 
-Patches should be posted as base64 encoded attachments (or any other
-encoding which ensures that the patch will not be trashed during
-transmission) to the
-@uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel}
-mailing list.
-
 It also helps quite a bit if you tell us what the patch does (for example
 'replaces lrint by lrintf'), and why (for example '*BSD isn't C99 compliant
 and has no lrint()'). This kind of explanation should be the body of the
@@ -364,8 +429,12 @@ commit message.
 Also please if you send several patches, send each patch as a separate mail,
 do not attach several unrelated patches to the same mail.
 
-Use @code{git send-email} when possible since it will properly send patches
-without requiring extra care.
+Patches should be posted to the
+@uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel}
+mailing list. Use @code{git send-email} when possible since it will properly
+send patches without requiring extra care. If you cannot, then send patches
+as base64-encoded attachments, so your patch is not trashed during
+transmission.
 
 Your patch will be reviewed on the mailing list. You will likely be asked
 to make some changes and are expected to send in an improved version that
@@ -381,38 +450,51 @@ send a reminder by email. Your patch should eventually be dealt with.
 
 @enumerate
 @item
-    Did you use av_cold for codec initialization and close functions?
+Did you use av_cold for codec initialization and close functions?
+
 @item
-    Did you add a long_name under NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL to the AVCodec or
-    AVInputFormat/AVOutputFormat struct?
+Did you add a long_name under NULL_IF_CONFIG_SMALL to the AVCodec or
+AVInputFormat/AVOutputFormat struct?
+
 @item
-    Did you bump the minor version number (and reset the micro version
-    number) in @file{libavcodec/version.h} or @file{libavformat/version.h}?
+Did you bump the minor version number (and reset the micro version
+number) in @file{libavcodec/version.h} or @file{libavformat/version.h}?
+
 @item
-    Did you register it in @file{allcodecs.c} or @file{allformats.c}?
+Did you register it in @file{allcodecs.c} or @file{allformats.c}?
+
 @item
-    Did you add the CodecID to @file{avcodec.h}?
+Did you add the AVCodecID to @file{avcodec.h}?
+When adding new codec IDs, also add an entry to the codec descriptor
+list in @file{libavcodec/codec_desc.c}.
+
 @item
-    If it has a fourcc, did you add it to @file{libavformat/riff.c},
-    even if it is only a decoder?
+If it has a FourCC, did you add it to @file{libavformat/riff.c},
+even if it is only a decoder?
+
 @item
-    Did you add a rule to compile the appropriate files in the Makefile?
-    Remember to do this even if you are just adding a format to a file that
-    is already being compiled by some other rule, like a raw demuxer.
+Did you add a rule to compile the appropriate files in the Makefile?
+Remember to do this even if you are just adding a format to a file that
+is already being compiled by some other rule, like a raw demuxer.
+
 @item
-    Did you add an entry to the table of supported formats or codecs in
-    @file{doc/general.texi}?
+Did you add an entry to the table of supported formats or codecs in
+@file{doc/general.texi}?
+
 @item
-    Did you add an entry in the Changelog?
+Did you add an entry in the Changelog?
+
 @item
-    If it depends on a parser or a library, did you add that dependency in
-    configure?
+If it depends on a parser or a library, did you add that dependency in
+configure?
+
 @item
-    Did you @code{git add} the appropriate files before committing?
+Did you @code{git add} the appropriate files before committing?
+
 @item
-    Did you make sure it compiles standalone, i.e. with
-    @code{configure --disable-everything --enable-decoder=foo}
-    (or @code{--enable-demuxer} or whatever your component is)?
+Did you make sure it compiles standalone, i.e. with
+@code{configure --disable-everything --enable-decoder=foo}
+(or @code{--enable-demuxer} or whatever your component is)?
 @end enumerate
 
 
@@ -420,64 +502,89 @@ send a reminder by email. Your patch should eventually be dealt with.
 
 @enumerate
 @item
-    Does @code{make fate} pass with the patch applied?
+Does @code{make check} pass with the patch applied?
+
 @item
-    Does @code{make checkheaders} pass with the patch applied?
+Is the patch against latest Libav git master branch?
+
 @item
-    Is the patch against latest Libav git master branch?
+Are you subscribed to the
+@uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel}
+mailing list? (Only list subscribers are allowed to post.)
+
 @item
-    Are you subscribed to the
-    @uref{https://lists.libav.org/mailman/listinfo/libav-devel, libav-devel}
-    mailing list? (Only list subscribers are allowed to post.)
+Have you checked that the changes are minimal, so that the same cannot be
+achieved with a smaller patch and/or simpler final code?
+
 @item
-    Have you checked that the changes are minimal, so that the same cannot be
-    achieved with a smaller patch and/or simpler final code?
+If the change is to speed critical code, did you benchmark it?
+
 @item
-    If the change is to speed critical code, did you benchmark it?
+If you did any benchmarks, did you provide them in the mail?
+
 @item
-    If you did any benchmarks, did you provide them in the mail?
+Have you checked that the patch does not introduce buffer overflows or
+other security issues?
+
 @item
-    Have you checked that the patch does not introduce buffer overflows or
-    other security issues?
+Did you test your decoder or demuxer against damaged data? If no, see
+tools/trasher, the noise bitstream filter, and
+@uref{http://caca.zoy.org/wiki/zzuf, zzuf}. Your decoder or demuxer
+should not crash, end in a (near) infinite loop, or allocate ridiculous
+amounts of memory when fed damaged data.
+
 @item
-    Did you test your decoder or demuxer against damaged data? If no, see
-    tools/trasher and the noise bitstream filter. Your decoder or demuxer
-    should not crash or end in a (near) infinite loop when fed damaged data.
+Does the patch not mix functional and cosmetic changes?
+
 @item
-    Does the patch not mix functional and cosmetic changes?
+Did you add tabs or trailing whitespace to the code? Both are forbidden.
+
 @item
-    Did you add tabs or trailing whitespace to the code? Both are forbidden.
+Is the patch attached to the email you send?
+
 @item
-    Is the patch attached to the email you send?
+Is the mime type of the patch correct? It should be text/x-diff or
+text/x-patch or at least text/plain and not application/octet-stream.
+
 @item
-    Is the mime type of the patch correct? It should be text/x-diff or
-    text/x-patch or at least text/plain and not application/octet-stream.
+If the patch fixes a bug, did you provide a verbose analysis of the bug?
+
 @item
-    If the patch fixes a bug, did you provide a verbose analysis of the bug?
+If the patch fixes a bug, did you provide enough information, including
+a sample, so the bug can be reproduced and the fix can be verified?
+Note please do not attach samples >100k to mails but rather provide a
+URL, you can upload to ftp://upload.libav.org
+
 @item
-    If the patch fixes a bug, did you provide enough information, including
-    a sample, so the bug can be reproduced and the fix can be verified?
-    Note please do not attach samples >100k to mails but rather provide a
-    URL, you can upload to ftp://upload.libav.org
+Did you provide a verbose summary about what the patch does change?
+
 @item
-    Did you provide a verbose summary about what the patch does change?
+Did you provide a verbose explanation why it changes things like it does?
+
 @item
-    Did you provide a verbose explanation why it changes things like it does?
+Did you provide a verbose summary of the user visible advantages and
+disadvantages if the patch is applied?
+
 @item
-    Did you provide a verbose summary of the user visible advantages and
-    disadvantages if the patch is applied?
+Did you provide an example so we can verify the new feature added by the
+patch easily?
+
 @item
-    Did you provide an example so we can verify the new feature added by the
-    patch easily?
+If you added a new file, did you insert a license header? It should be
+taken from Libav, not randomly copied and pasted from somewhere else.
+
 @item
-    If you added a new file, did you insert a license header? It should be
-    taken from Libav, not randomly copied and pasted from somewhere else.
+You should maintain alphabetical order in alphabetically ordered lists as
+long as doing so does not break API/ABI compatibility.
+
 @item
-    You should maintain alphabetical order in alphabetically ordered lists as
-    long as doing so does not break API/ABI compatibility.
+Lines with similar content should be aligned vertically when doing so
+improves readability.
+
 @item
-    Lines with similar content should be aligned vertically when doing so
-    improves readability.
+Make sure you check the return values of function and return appropriate
+error codes. Especially memory allocation functions like @code{malloc()}
+are notoriously left unchecked, which is a serious problem.
 @end enumerate
 
 @section Patch review process
@@ -510,10 +617,168 @@ least make sure that it does not break anything.
 If the code changed has already a test present in FATE you should run it,
 otherwise it is advised to add it.
 
-Improvements to codec or demuxer might change the FATE results. Make sure
+Improvements to a codec or demuxer might change the FATE results. Make sure
 to commit the update reference with the change and to explain in the comment
 why the expected result changed.
 
-Please refer to @file{doc/fate.txt}.
+Please refer to @url{fate.html}.
+
+@subsection Visualizing Test Coverage
+
+The Libav build system allows visualizing the test coverage in an easy
+manner with the coverage tools @code{gcov}/@code{lcov}.  This involves
+the following steps:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+    Configure to compile with instrumentation enabled:
+    @code{configure --toolchain=gcov}.
+
+@item
+    Run your test case, either manually or via FATE. This can be either
+    the full FATE regression suite, or any arbitrary invocation of any
+    front-end tool provided by Libav, in any combination.
+
+@item
+    Run @code{make lcov} to generate coverage data in HTML format.
+
+@item
+    View @code{lcov/index.html} in your preferred HTML viewer.
+@end enumerate
+
+You can use the command @code{make lcov-reset} to reset the coverage
+measurements. You will need to rerun @code{make lcov} after running a
+new test.
+
+@subsection Using Valgrind
+
+The configure script provides a shortcut for using valgrind to spot bugs
+related to memory handling. Just add the option
+@code{--toolchain=valgrind-memcheck} or @code{--toolchain=valgrind-massif}
+to your configure line, and reasonable defaults will be set for running
+FATE under the supervision of either the @strong{memcheck} or the
+@strong{massif} tool of the valgrind suite.
+
+In case you need finer control over how valgrind is invoked, use the
+@code{--target-exec='valgrind <your_custom_valgrind_options>} option in
+your configure line instead.
+
+@anchor{Release process}
+@section Release process
+
+Libav maintains a set of @strong{release branches}, which are the
+recommended deliverable for system integrators and distributors (such as
+Linux distributions, etc.). At irregular times, a @strong{release
+manager} prepares, tests and publishes tarballs on the
+@url{http://libav.org} website.
+
+There are two kinds of releases:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@strong{Major releases} always include the latest and greatest
+features and functionality.
+
+@item
+@strong{Point releases} are cut from @strong{release} branches,
+which are named @code{release/X}, with @code{X} being the release
+version number.
+@end enumerate
+
+Note that we promise to our users that shared libraries from any Libav
+release never break programs that have been @strong{compiled} against
+previous versions of @strong{the same release series} in any case!
+
+However, from time to time, we do make API changes that require adaptations
+in applications. Such changes are only allowed in (new) major releases and
+require further steps such as bumping library version numbers and/or
+adjustments to the symbol versioning file. Please discuss such changes
+on the @strong{libav-devel} mailing list in time to allow forward planning.
+
+@anchor{Criteria for Point Releases}
+@subsection Criteria for Point Releases
+
+Changes that match the following criteria are valid candidates for
+inclusion into a point release:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Fixes a security issue, preferably identified by a @strong{CVE
+number} issued by @url{http://cve.mitre.org/}.
+
+@item
+Fixes a documented bug in @url{http://bugzilla.libav.org}.
+
+@item
+Improves the included documentation.
+
+@item
+Retains both source code and binary compatibility with previous
+point releases of the same release branch.
+@end enumerate
+
+The order for checking the rules is (1 OR 2 OR 3) AND 4.
+
+All Libav developers are welcome to nominate commits that they push to
+@code{master} by mailing the @strong{libav-stable} mailing list. The
+easiest way to do so is to include @code{CC: libav-stable@@libav.org} in
+the commit message.
+
+
+@subsection Release Checklist
+
+The release process involves the following steps:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Ensure that the @file{RELEASE} file contains the version number for
+the upcoming release.
+
+@item
+File a release tracking bug in @url{http://bugzilla.libav.org}. Make
+sure that the bug has an alias named @code{ReleaseX.Y} for the
+@code{X.Y} release.
+
+@item
+Announce the intent to do a release to the mailing list.
+
+@item
+Reassign unresolved blocking bugs from previous release
+tracking bugs to the new bug.
+
+@item
+Review patch nominations that reach the @strong{libav-stable}
+mailing list, and push patches that fulfill the stable release
+criteria to the release branch.
+
+@item
+Ensure that the FATE regression suite still passes in the release
+branch on at least @strong{i386} and @strong{amd64}
+(cf. @ref{Regression Tests}).
+
+@item
+Prepare the release tarballs in @code{xz} and @code{gz} formats, and
+supplementing files that contain @code{md5} and @code{sha1}
+checksums.
+
+@item
+Publish the tarballs at @url{http://libav.org/releases}. Create and
+push an annotated tag in the form @code{vX}, with @code{X}
+containing the version number.
+
+@item
+Build the tarballs with the Windows binaries, and publish them at
+@url{http://win32.libav.org/releases}.
+
+@item
+Propose and send a patch to the @strong{libav-devel} mailing list
+with a news entry for the website.
+
+@item
+Publish the news entry.
+
+@item
+Send announcement to the mailing list.
+@end enumerate
 
 @bye