Wireshark · Wireshark-dev: [Wireshark-dev] Parameter passing when using a dissector table to call a sub-dissector

[Richard Sharpe <realrichardsharpe@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks,

During the review of a new protocol dissector it was suggested that I
add a dissector table for the TLVs that are in the protocol so that
other dissectors can use them.

This raises an issue, however. The filter expressions for such
dissected results will always be those of the dissector was written
for, however, if you are using another dissectors sub-dissectors you
would like to be able to override their search strings.

For example, consider the following hf initialization:

        { &hf_ieee1905_beacon_metrics_response_status,
          { "Response status", "ieee1905.beacon_metrics.status",
            FT_UINT8, BASE_HEX, NULL, 0, NULL, HFILL }},

If the dissector using this was called from another dissector, say
blah, it would probably want to override the string "ieee1905" with
"blah" ...

There is the obvious solution, I guess, of dividing the filter
expression into two fields.

Are there any good suggestions?

-- 
Regards,
Richard Sharpe
(何以解憂？唯有杜康。--曹操)