Pattern matching on byte slices produces sub-optimal ASM
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Description
I tried this code:
#[unsafe(no_mangle)]
fn test1(data: &[u8]) -> Option<Value> {
match data {
[.., 100, 0, 2, 111, 112, 97, 10] => Some(Value::Test0),
[.., 45, 254, 12, 74, 13, 65, 10] => Some(Value::Test1),
[.., 75, 11, 64, 12, 128, 65, 11] => Some(Value::Test2),
[.., 101, 55, 32, 77, 12, 66, 88] => Some(Value::Test3),
[.., 75, 234, 56, 23, 86, 45, 86] => Some(Value::Test4),
[.., 51, 35, 75, 14, 65, 45, 155] => Some(Value::Test5),
[.., 66, 23, 54, 123, 76, 23, 66] => Some(Value::Test6),
[.., 60, 55, 87, 235, 67, 14, 88] => Some(Value::Test7),
[.., 69, 22, 4 , 1 , 0, 55, 129] => Some(Value::Test8),
[.., 99, 23, 77, 13, 66, 86, 193] => Some(Value::Test9),
_ => None
}
}
#[unsafe(no_mangle)]
fn test2(data: &[u8]) -> Option<Value> {
match data {
data if data.ends_with(&[100, 0, 2, 111, 112, 97, 10]) => Some(Value::Test0),
data if data.ends_with(&[45, 254, 12, 74, 13, 65, 10]) => Some(Value::Test1),
data if data.ends_with(&[75, 11, 64, 12, 128, 65, 11]) => Some(Value::Test2),
data if data.ends_with(&[101, 55, 32, 77, 12, 66, 88]) => Some(Value::Test3),
data if data.ends_with(&[75, 234, 56, 23, 86, 45, 86]) => Some(Value::Test4),
data if data.ends_with(&[51, 35, 75, 14, 65, 45, 155]) => Some(Value::Test5),
data if data.ends_with(&[66, 23, 54, 123, 76, 23, 66]) => Some(Value::Test6),
data if data.ends_with(&[60, 55, 87, 235, 67, 14, 88]) => Some(Value::Test7),
data if data.ends_with(&[69, 22, 4 , 1 , 0, 55, 129]) => Some(Value::Test8),
data if data.ends_with(&[99, 23, 77, 13, 66, 86, 193]) => Some(Value::Test9),
_ => None
}
}
enum Value {
Test0,
Test1,
Test2,
Test3,
Test4,
Test5,
Test6,
Test7,
Test8,
Test9
}
I expected to see this happen: test1 and test2 are equivalent, and should generate same compiled code.
Instead, this happened: the generated code of test1 is inferior to test2
Meta
rustc --version --verbose:
rustc 1.89.0 (29483883e 2025-08-04)
binary: rustc
commit-hash: 29483883eed69d5fb4db01964cdf2af4d86e9cb2
commit-date: 2025-08-04
host: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
release: 1.89.0
LLVM version: 20.1.7
Godbolt link: https://rust.godbolt.org/z/76aT93b1z
Related RPLCS discussion: https://discord.com/channels/273534239310479360/1388176726994980925
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
Start with the supplied test1 and test2 reproducer and compare their generated assembly using the linked Godbolt example. Investigate why the byte-slice pattern match produces inferior code, then verify that equivalent patterns generate comparable optimized assembly while preserving the reported matching behavior.
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