`&T -> *const T` or `&mut T -> *mut T` should be considered a use of inner fields
Open
Nobody has claimed this yet.
A-lints
L-dead_code
T-compiler
- Dominant language
- Rust
- Stars
- 119k
- Forks
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Description
Code
const SCALING_FACTOR: usize = 4096;
#[repr(align(4096))]
#[derive(Copy, Clone)]
struct HighAlignment([u8; SCALING_FACTOR]);
fn main() {
let size = 1;
let src = vec![HighAlignment([127u8; SCALING_FACTOR]); size];
let mut dst = vec![HighAlignment([254u8; SCALING_FACTOR]); size];
unsafe { core::ptr::copy_nonoverlapping(src.as_ptr(), dst.as_mut_ptr(), size) };
}
Current output
Compiling playground v0.0.1 (/playground)
warning: field `0` is never read
--> src/main.rs:4:22
|
4 | struct HighAlignment([u8; SCALING_FACTOR]);
| ------------- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
| |
| field in this struct
|
= note: `HighAlignment` has a derived impl for the trait `Clone`, but this is intentionally ignored during dead code analysis
= note: `#[warn(dead_code)]` on by default
help: consider changing the field to be of unit type to suppress this warning while preserving the field numbering, or remove the field
|
4 | struct HighAlignment(());
| ~~
warning: `playground` (bin "playground") generated 1 warning
Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 0.39s
Running `target/debug/playground`
Desired output
Compiling playground v0.0.1 (/playground)
Finished `dev` profile [unoptimized + debuginfo] target(s) in 0.38s
Running `target/debug/playground`
Rationale and extra context
In effect, the pointer is used to copy the inner field. The entire use of the type is for the alignment of the inner data. I believe it is inappropriate for rustc to reason about whether data written to a pointer is a "use", and the following code goes without remark:
Other cases
const SCALING_FACTOR: usize = 4096;
#[repr(align(4096))]
#[derive(Copy, Clone)]
struct HighAlignment([u8; SCALING_FACTOR]);
fn main() {
let size = 1;
let src = vec![HighAlignment([127u8; SCALING_FACTOR]); size];
let mut dst = vec![HighAlignment([254u8; SCALING_FACTOR]); size];
dst[0].0 = src[0].0; // completely silences the lint
}
Rust Version
rustc 1.80.0-nightly (9cdfe285c 2024-05-22)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: 9cdfe285ca724c801dc9f78d22b24ea69b787f26
commit-date: 2024-05-22
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.80.0-nightly
LLVM version: 18.1.6
Anything else?
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Reproduce the warning with the Rust code in the issue, then trace the dead_code lint's handling of raw-pointer copies and direct inner-field assignments. Done means the pointer-copy case recognizes the inner field as used and no longer emits the unnecessary field warning, while the shown program still compiles successfully.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- rust
- Domain
- compilers
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100