linux-kernel - [PATCH 2/3] checkpatch: qualify do-while-0 advice

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Message-ID: <20250325235156.663269-3-jim.cromie@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:51:55 -0600
From: Jim Cromie <jim.cromie@...il.com>
To: linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Cc: akpm@...uxfoundation.org,
	Jim Cromie <jim.cromie@...il.com>,
	Andy Whitcroft <apw@...onical.com>,
	Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>,
	Dwaipayan Ray <dwaipayanray1@...il.com>,
	Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@...il.com>
Subject: [PATCH 2/3] checkpatch: qualify do-while-0 advice

Add a paragraph of advice qualifying the general do-while-0 advice,
noting 3 possible misguidings.  reduce one ERROR to WARN, for the case
I actually encountered.

And add 'static_assert' to named exceptions, along with some
additional comments about named exceptions vs (detection of)
declarative construction primitives (union, struct, [], etc).

cc: Andy Whitcroft <apw@...onical.com>
cc: Joe Perches <joe@...ches.com>
cc: Dwaipayan Ray <dwaipayanray1@...il.com>
cc: Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@...il.com>
Signed-off-by: Jim Cromie <jim.cromie@...il.com>
---
 scripts/checkpatch.pl | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++------
 1 file changed, 27 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 0c4f578ea6e7..044157ba5b47 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -150,6 +150,24 @@ EOM
 	exit($exitcode);
 }
 
+my $DO_WHILE_0_ADVICE = q{
+   do {} while (0) advice is over-stated in a few situations:
+
+   The more obvious case is macros, like MODULE_PARM_DESC, invoked at
+   file-scope, where C disallows code (it must be in functions).  See
+   $exceptions if you have one to add by name.
+
+   More troublesome is declarative macros used at top of new scope,
+   like DECLARE_PER_CPU.  These might just compile with a do-while-0
+   wrapper, but would be incorrect.  Most of these are handled by
+   detecting struct,union,etc declaration primitives in $exceptions.
+
+   Theres also macros called inside an if (block), which "return" an
+   expression.  These cannot do-while, and need a ({}) wrapper.
+
+   Enjoy this qualification while we work to improve our heuristics.
+};
+
 sub uniq {
 	my %seen;
 	return grep { !$seen{$_}++ } @_;
@@ -5896,9 +5914,9 @@ sub process {
 			}
 		}
 
-# multi-statement macros should be enclosed in a do while loop, grab the
-# first statement and ensure its the whole macro if its not enclosed
-# in a known good container
+# Usually multi-statement macros should be enclosed in a do {} while
+# (0) loop.  Grab the first statement and ensure its the whole macro
+# if its not enclosed in a known good container
 		if ($realfile !~ m@...linux.lds.h$@ &&
 		    $line =~ /^.\s*\#\s*define\s*$Ident(\()?/) {
 			my $ln = $linenr;
@@ -5951,10 +5969,13 @@ sub process {
 
 			my $exceptions = qr{
 				$Declare|
+				# named exceptions
 				module_param_named|
 				MODULE_PARM_DESC|
 				DECLARE_PER_CPU|
 				DEFINE_PER_CPU|
+				static_assert|
+				# declaration primitives
 				__typeof__\(|
 				union|
 				struct|
@@ -5989,11 +6010,11 @@ sub process {
 					ERROR("MULTISTATEMENT_MACRO_USE_DO_WHILE",
 					      "Macros starting with if should be enclosed by a do - while loop to avoid possible if/else logic defects\n" . "$herectx");
 				} elsif ($dstat =~ /;/) {
-					ERROR("MULTISTATEMENT_MACRO_USE_DO_WHILE",
-					      "Macros with multiple statements should be enclosed in a do - while loop\n" . "$herectx");
+					WARN("MULTISTATEMENT_MACRO_USE_DO_WHILE",
+					      "Non-declarative macros with multiple statements should be enclosed in a do - while loop\n" . "$herectx\nBUT SEE:\n$DO_WHILE_0_ADVICE");
 				} else {
 					ERROR("COMPLEX_MACRO",
-					      "Macros with complex values should be enclosed in parentheses\n" . "$herectx");
+					      "Macros with complex values should be enclosed in parentheses\n" . "$herectx\nBUT SEE:\n$DO_WHILE_0_ADVICE");
 				}
 
 			}
-- 
2.49.0