python / python/cpython

Add _DuringGC functions for tp_traverse

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interpreter-core topic-C-API type-feature
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Feature or enhancement

As seen in https://discuss.python.org/t/adding-c-api-for-use-in-tp-traverse/105331/13 and https://github.com/capi-workgroup/decisions/issues/95:

There are newly documented restrictions on tp_traverse:

The traversal function must not have any side effects. It must not modify the reference counts of any Python objects nor create or destroy any Python objects.

But, whether a C-API function modifies some reference count is an implementation detail that we can change at any time. Core devs can add logging, an audit event, or a warning, to virtually any function.
This implies that you can't safely use any C API function in tp_traverse, unless it guarantees that it has no side effects.

I propose to add such side-effect-free versions of some functions useful in tp_traverse, with a _DuringGC suffix -- namely:

  • PyObject_GetTypeData_DuringGC
  • PyObject_GetItemData_DuringGC
  • PyType_GetModuleState_DuringGC
  • PyModule_GetState_DuringGC
  • PyModule_GetToken_DuringGC
  • PyType_GetBaseByToken_DuringGC
  • PyType_GetModule_DuringGC
  • PyType_GetModuleByToken_DuringGC

Compared to their non-suffixed variants, the main difference is that we promise that these will remain safe to use in tp_traverse. The other differences are that these functions cannot fail, and (where applicable) they return borrowed references rather than strong ones.

Also, Py_VISIT, Py_SIZE, PyObject_VisitManagedDict as well as the visitproc that Python passes to tp_traverse will be documented to work like this.
[edit] I'll also include a few ones useful in these: PyObject_TypeCheck, PyType_IsSubtype, PyType_HasFeature, Py{<type>}_Check, Py{<type>}_CheckExact.

Users that call any _DuringGC function (including some type's tp_traverse) must manually must ensure that the type, MRO, and layout of any argument doesn't concurrently change. That means only calling them from tp_traverse.

Linked PRs
  • gh-145925

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reading the linked C-API discussion, decisions issue 95, and PR gh-145925. Review the listed _DuringGC functions and the related Py_VISIT, Py_SIZE, visitproc, and type-checking APIs. Done means the proposed side-effect-free APIs and their tp_traverse safety guarantees are implemented and documented.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c, python
Domain
api, backend-api-design
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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