> From: Stephen Hemminger [mailto:step...@networkplumber.org] > Sent: Monday, 13 November 2023 00.32 > > On Sun, 12 Nov 2023 09:30:24 +0100 > Morten Brørup <m...@smartsharesystems.com> wrote: > > > > > +static_assert(sizeof(struct rte_event) == 16, "Event structure > size > > > is not 16-bytes in size"); > > > > + > > > > static struct rte_eventdev > rte_event_devices[RTE_EVENT_MAX_DEVS]; > > > > > > Please don't reinvent RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON(). > > > Instead fix that to be a static_assert() > > > > I would say the opposite: > > With our upgrade to the C11 standard, let's get rid of the > RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() workaround for the lack of static_assert() in older > C standards. > > > > Unfortunately, the static_assert(expression) variant without the > "message" parameter, which would make our RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() macro > completely obsolete, requires C23. And I don't see how we can make this > variant available with C11. So we probably have to wait until DPDK > requires C23. > > > > Until then, let's gradually phase out the DPDK-specific > RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() in favor of standard C's static_assert(), and live > with the inconvenience of having to provide a message parameter for it. > > > > Please also note that static_assert() can be used outside code > blocks, which makes it handy for use in header files. > > If you look at my RFC, the message is just as good as the one in this > code. > It ends up being stringified version of the expression. Which is more > exact than the wording used in some other places.
I agree that the output of your RFC is better than that of static_assert(expr, msg). I'm arguing that RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() would be considered reinventing the wheel if introduced today, because the C11 standard already offers something similar. So we should prefer that over RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON(), not the other way around. It's a difference in opinion. Both RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() and static_assert() are viable; you seem to prefer the first, I prefer the latter. Both occur in existing DPDK code, and Bruce happened to chose static_assert() for this patch. The overall question is a choice between three options: 1. prefer using RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() (using your RFC implementation), 2. phase out RTE_BUILD_BUG_ON() in favor of the C11 standard's static_assert(), or 3. continue using both? I'm not strongly opposed to either of the three, as long as the community agrees.
