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

From: Jim Cromie
Date: Tue Mar 25 2025 - 19:52:35 EST


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@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc: Joe Perches <joe@xxxxxxxxxxx>
cc: Dwaipayan Ray <dwaipayanray1@xxxxxxxxx>
cc: Lukas Bulwahn <lukas.bulwahn@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Jim Cromie <jim.cromie@xxxxxxxxx>
---
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 ($realfile !~ m@/vmlinux.lds.h$@ &&
$line =~ /^.\s*\#\s*define\s*$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