Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org designates 2620:137:e000::1:20 as permitted sender) client-ip=2620:137:e000::1:20;
From:   "Huang, Ying" <ying.huang@intel.com>
To:     Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Cc:     Mathieu Desnoyers <mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com>,
        Andrew Morton <akpm@linux-foundation.org>,
        linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, Peter Zijlstra <peterz@infradead.org>
Subject: Re: [RFC PATCH 4/4] llist.h: Fix parentheses around macro pointer
 parameter use
References: <20230504012914.1797355-1-mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com>
        <20230504012914.1797355-4-mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com>
        <87pm7gd4l5.fsf@yhuang6-desk2.ccr.corp.intel.com>
        <8c28baa8-0945-fd77-3d1d-92c99c7bbbd1@efficios.com>
        <CAHk-=wjfgCa-u8h9z+8U7gaKK6PnRCpws1Md9wYSSXywUxoUSA@mail.gmail.com>
Date:   Fri, 05 May 2023 09:38:54 +0800
In-Reply-To: <CAHk-=wjfgCa-u8h9z+8U7gaKK6PnRCpws1Md9wYSSXywUxoUSA@mail.gmail.com>
        (Linus Torvalds's message of "Thu, 4 May 2023 10:16:36 -0700")
Message-ID: <87354bd0b5.fsf@yhuang6-desk2.ccr.corp.intel.com>
User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/27.1 (gnu/linux)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Precedence: bulk

Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org> writes:

> On Thu, May 4, 2023 at 7:54=E2=80=AFAM Mathieu Desnoyers
> <mathieu.desnoyers@efficios.com> wrote:
>> +#define list_prepare_entry(pos, head, member) \
>> +       ((pos) ? : list_entry(head, typeof(*pos), member))
>>
>> So even though the fact that "pos" is used as an lvalue specifically in
>> llist_for_each_entry_safe() makes it so that the parentheses are not
>> strictly required around "pos" in typeof(*pos), I argue that we should
>> still add those for consistency.
>
> Ack. It may not matter in reality because of how 'pos' is supposed to
> be just a local variable name, but I agree that for consistency our
> macros should still follow the usual pattern.
>
> Of course, *because* of how 'pos' is not some random expression, and
> is supposed to be that local variable, and because of how it is used,
> it must always violate the whole "only use once" usual pattern,.
>
> Exactly the same way the member name is also typically used multiple
> times because of how it's not an expression, but really a "part of the
> syntax".
>
> So an alternative might be that we should use a different syntax for
> those things and make it clear that they are not normal expressions.
> Some people use upper-case names for special things like that to make
> them stand out as "not normal" (kind of the same way upper-case macros
> themselves were a warning that they weren't normal and might evaluate
> arguments multiple times).

This sounds a good idea for me.

And with this, I think that we will use typeof(*POS) instead of
typeof(*(pos))?

Best Regards,
Huang, Ying