Re: [PATCH 3/6] rust: add `bitfield!` macro
From: Yury Norov
Date: Wed Jan 21 2026 - 04:25:21 EST
On Tue, Jan 20, 2026 at 03:17:56PM +0900, Alexandre Courbot wrote:
> Add a macro for defining bitfield structs with bounds-checked accessors.
>
> Each field is represented as a `Bounded` of the appropriate bit width,
> ensuring field values are never silently truncated.
>
> Fields can optionally be converted to/from custom types, either fallibly
> or infallibly.
>
> Signed-off-by: Alexandre Courbot <acourbot@xxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> rust/kernel/bitfield.rs | 503 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> rust/kernel/lib.rs | 1 +
> 2 files changed, 504 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/rust/kernel/bitfield.rs b/rust/kernel/bitfield.rs
> new file mode 100644
> index 000000000000..2926ab802227
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/rust/kernel/bitfield.rs
> @@ -0,0 +1,503 @@
> +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
> +
> +//! Support for defining bitfields as Rust structures.
> +
> +/// Defines a bitfield struct with bounds-checked accessors for individual bit ranges.
> +///
> +/// # Example
> +///
> +/// ```rust
> +/// use kernel::bitfield;
> +/// use kernel::num::Bounded;
> +///
> +/// bitfield! {
> +/// pub struct Rgb(u16) {
> +/// 15:11 blue;
> +/// 10:5 green;
> +/// 4:0 red;
> +/// }
> +/// }
> +///
> +/// // Setters can be chained. Bounded::new::<N>() does compile-time bounds checking.
> +/// let color = Rgb::default()
> +/// .set_red(Bounded::<u16, _>::new::<0x10>())
> +/// .set_green(Bounded::<u16, _>::new::<0x1f>())
> +/// .set_blue(Bounded::<u16, _>::new::<0x18>());
Is there a way to just say:
let color = Rgb::default().
.set_red(0x10)
.set_green(0x1f)
.set_blue(0x18)
I think it should be the default style. Later in the patch you say:
Each field is internally represented as a [`Bounded`]
So, let's keep implementation decoupled from an interface?
> +///
> +/// assert_eq!(color.red(), 0x10);
> +/// assert_eq!(color.green(), 0x1f);
> +/// assert_eq!(color.blue(), 0x18);
> +/// assert_eq!(
> +/// color.as_raw(),
> +/// (0x18 << Rgb::BLUE_SHIFT) + (0x1f << Rgb::GREEN_SHIFT) + 0x10,
> +/// );
What about:
bitfield! {
pub struct Rgb(u16) {
15:11 blue;
10:5 Blue;
4:0 BLUE;
}
}
What Rgb::BLUE_SHIFT would mean in this case? Maybe Rgb::SHIFT(blue)?
> +///
> +/// // Convert to/from the backing storage type.
> +/// let raw: u16 = color.into();
What about:
bitfield! {
pub struct Rgb(u16) {
15:11 blue;
10:5 set_blue;
4:0 into;
}
}
What color.set_blue() and color.into() would mean? Even if they work,
I think, to stay on safe side there should be a more conventional set
of accessors: color.get(into), color.set(set_blue, 0xff) and son on.
Thanks,
Yury