-.. _coding_standards:
-
=====================
LLVM Coding Standards
=====================
To comment out a large block of code, use ``#if 0`` and ``#endif``. These nest
properly and are better behaved in general than C style comments.
+Doxygen Use in Documentation Comments
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Use the ``\file`` command to turn the standard file header into a file-level
+comment.
+
+Include descriptive ``\brief`` paragraphs for all public interfaces (public
+classes, member and non-member functions). Explain API use and purpose in
+``\brief`` paragraphs, don't just restate the information that can be inferred
+from the API name. Put detailed discussion into separate paragraphs.
+
+To refer to parameter names inside a paragraph, use the ``\p name`` command.
+Don't use the ``\arg name`` command since it starts a new paragraph that
+contains documentation for the parameter.
+
+Wrap non-inline code examples in ``\code ... \endcode``.
+
+To document a function parameter, start a new paragraph with the
+``\param name`` command. If the parameter is used as an out or an in/out
+parameter, use the ``\param [out] name`` or ``\param [in,out] name`` command,
+respectively.
+
+To describe function return value, start a new paragraph with the ``\returns``
+command.
+
+A minimal documentation comment:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ /// \brief Does foo and bar.
+ void fooBar(bool Baz);
+
+A documentation comment that uses all Doxygen features in a preferred way:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ /// \brief Does foo and bar.
+ ///
+ /// Does not do foo the usual way if \p Baz is true.
+ ///
+ /// Typical usage:
+ /// \code
+ /// fooBar(false, "quux", Res);
+ /// \endcode
+ ///
+ /// \param Quux kind of foo to do.
+ /// \param [out] Result filled with bar sequence on foo success.
+ ///
+ /// \returns true on success.
+ bool fooBar(bool Baz, StringRef Quux, std::vector<int> &Result);
+
+Don't duplicate the documentation comment in the header file and in the
+implementation file. Put the documentation comments for public APIs into the
+header file. Documentation comments for private APIs can go to the
+implementation file. In any case, implementation files can include additional
+comments (not necessarily in Doxygen markup) to explain implementation details
+as needed.
+
+Don't duplicate function or class name at the beginning of the comment.
+For humans it is obvious which function or class is being documented;
+automatic documentation processing tools are smart enough to bind the comment
+to the correct declaration.
+
+Wrong:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ // In Something.h:
+
+ /// Something - An abstraction for some complicated thing.
+ class Something {
+ public:
+ /// fooBar - Does foo and bar.
+ void fooBar();
+ };
+
+ // In Something.cpp:
+
+ /// fooBar - Does foo and bar.
+ void Something::fooBar() { ... }
+
+Correct:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ // In Something.h:
+
+ /// \brief An abstraction for some complicated thing.
+ class Something {
+ public:
+ /// \brief Does foo and bar.
+ void fooBar();
+ };
+
+ // In Something.cpp:
+
+ // Builds a B-tree in order to do foo. See paper by...
+ void Something::fooBar() { ... }
+
+It is not required to use additional Doxygen features, but sometimes it might
+be a good idea to do so.
+
+Consider:
+
+* adding comments to any narrow namespace containing a collection of
+ related functions or types;
+
+* using top-level groups to organize a collection of related functions at
+ namespace scope where the grouping is smaller than the namespace;
+
+* using member groups and additional comments attached to member
+ groups to organize within a class.
+
+For example:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ class Something {
+ /// \name Functions that do Foo.
+ /// @{
+ void fooBar();
+ void fooBaz();
+ /// @}
+ ...
+ };
+
``#include`` Style
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
#. Main Module Header
#. Local/Private Headers
-#. ``llvm/*``
-#. ``llvm/Analysis/*``
-#. ``llvm/Assembly/*``
-#. ``llvm/Bitcode/*``
-#. ``llvm/CodeGen/*``
-#. ...
-#. ``llvm/Support/*``
-#. ``llvm/Config/*``
+#. ``llvm/...``
#. System ``#include``\s
-and each category should be sorted by name.
+and each category should be sorted lexicographically by the full path.
The `Main Module Header`_ file applies to ``.cpp`` files which implement an
interface defined by a ``.h`` file. This ``#include`` should always be included
That said, LLVM does make extensive use of a hand-rolled form of RTTI that use
templates like `isa<>, cast<>, and dyn_cast<> <ProgrammersManual.html#isa>`_.
-This form of RTTI is opt-in and can be added to any class. It is also
+This form of RTTI is opt-in and can be
+:doc:`added to any class <HowToSetUpLLVMStyleRTTI>`. It is also
substantially more efficient than ``dynamic_cast<>``.
.. _static constructor:
.. code-block:: c++
bool FoundFoo = false;
- for (unsigned i = 0, e = BarList.size(); i != e; ++i)
- if (BarList[i]->isFoo()) {
+ for (unsigned I = 0, E = BarList.size(); I != E; ++I)
+ if (BarList[I]->isFoo()) {
FoundFoo = true;
break;
}
.. code-block:: c++
- /// containsFoo - Return true if the specified list has an element that is
- /// a foo.
+ /// \returns true if the specified list has an element that is a foo.
static bool containsFoo(const std::vector<Bar*> &List) {
- for (unsigned i = 0, e = List.size(); i != e; ++i)
- if (List[i]->isFoo())
+ for (unsigned I = 0, E = List.size(); I != E; ++I)
+ if (List[I]->isFoo())
return true;
return false;
}
As an exception, classes that mimic STL classes can have member names in STL's
style of lower-case words separated by underscores (e.g. ``begin()``,
-``push_back()``, and ``empty()``).
+``push_back()``, and ``empty()``). Classes that provide multiple
+iterators should add a singular prefix to ``begin()`` and ``end()``
+(e.g. ``global_begin()`` and ``use_begin()``).
Here are some examples of good and bad names:
Vehicle MakeVehicle(VehicleType Type) {
VehicleMaker M; // Might be OK if having a short life-span.
- Tire tmp1 = M.makeTire(); // Bad -- 'tmp1' provides no information.
- Light headlight = M.makeLight("head"); // Good -- descriptive.
+ Tire Tmp1 = M.makeTire(); // Bad -- 'Tmp1' provides no information.
+ Light Headlight = M.makeLight("head"); // Good -- descriptive.
...
}
.. code-block:: c++
- inline Value *getOperand(unsigned i) {
- assert(i < Operands.size() && "getOperand() out of range!");
- return Operands[i];
+ inline Value *getOperand(unsigned I) {
+ assert(I < Operands.size() && "getOperand() out of range!");
+ return Operands[I];
}
Here are more examples:
You get the idea.
-Please be aware that, when adding assert statements, not all compilers are aware
-of the semantics of the assert. In some places, asserts are used to indicate a
-piece of code that should not be reached. These are typically of the form:
+In the past, asserts were used to indicate a piece of code that should not be
+reached. These were typically of the form:
.. code-block:: c++
- assert(0 && "Some helpful error message");
+ assert(0 && "Invalid radix for integer literal");
+
+This has a few issues, the main one being that some compilers might not
+understand the assertion, or warn about a missing return in builds where
+assertions are compiled out.
-When used in a function that returns a value, they should be followed with a
-return statement and a comment indicating that this line is never reached. This
-will prevent a compiler which is unable to deduce that the assert statement
-never returns from generating a warning.
+Today, we have something much better: ``llvm_unreachable``:
.. code-block:: c++
- assert(0 && "Some helpful error message");
- return 0;
+ llvm_unreachable("Invalid radix for integer literal");
+
+When assertions are enabled, this will print the message if it's ever reached
+and then exit the program. When assertions are disabled (i.e. in release
+builds), ``llvm_unreachable`` becomes a hint to compilers to skip generating
+code for this branch. If the compiler does not support this, it will fall back
+to the "abort" implementation.
Another issue is that values used only by assertions will produce an "unused
value" warning when assertions are disabled. For example, this code will warn:
start of the loop. In this case, the cost is probably minor --- a few extra
loads every time through the loop. However, if the base expression is more
complex, then the cost can rise quickly. I've seen loops where the end
-expression was actually something like: "``SomeMap[x]->end()``" and map lookups
+expression was actually something like: "``SomeMap[X]->end()``" and map lookups
really aren't cheap. By writing it in the second form consistently, you
eliminate the issue entirely and don't even have to think about it.
Most of the time, you probably have no reason to flush the output stream, so
it's better to use a literal ``'\n'``.
+Don't use ``inline`` when defining a function in a class definition
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+A member function defined in a class definition is implicitly inline, so don't
+put the ``inline`` keyword in this case.
+
+Don't:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ class Foo {
+ public:
+ inline void bar() {
+ // ...
+ }
+ };
+
+Do:
+
+.. code-block:: c++
+
+ class Foo {
+ public:
+ void bar() {
+ // ...
+ }
+ };
+
Microscopic Details
-------------------
.. code-block:: c++
- if (x) ...
- for (i = 0; i != 100; ++i) ...
- while (llvm_rocks) ...
+ if (X) ...
+ for (I = 0; I != 100; ++I) ...
+ while (LLVMRocks) ...
somefunc(42);
assert(3 != 4 && "laws of math are failing me");
- a = foo(42, 92) + bar(x);
+ A = foo(42, 92) + bar(X);
and this is bad:
.. code-block:: c++
- if(x) ...
- for(i = 0; i != 100; ++i) ...
- while(llvm_rocks) ...
+ if(X) ...
+ for(I = 0; I != 100; ++I) ...
+ while(LLVMRocks) ...
somefunc (42);
assert (3 != 4 && "laws of math are failing me");
- a = foo (42, 92) + bar (x);
+ A = foo (42, 92) + bar (X);
The reason for doing this is not completely arbitrary. This style makes control
flow operators stand out more, and makes expressions flow better. The function
function name (as in the last example) makes it appear that the code might bind
the arguments of the left-hand-side of a binary operator with the argument list
of a function and the name of the right side. More specifically, it is easy to
-misread the "``a``" example as:
+misread the "``A``" example as:
.. code-block:: c++
- a = foo ((42, 92) + bar) (x);
+ A = foo ((42, 92) + bar) (X);
when skimming through the code. By avoiding a space in a function, we avoid
this misinterpretation.
namespace llvm {
namespace X86 {
- /// RelocationType - An enum for the x86 relocation codes. Note that
+ /// \brief An enum for the x86 relocation codes. Note that
/// the terminology here doesn't follow x86 convention - word means
/// 32-bit and dword means 64-bit.
enum RelocationType {
- /// reloc_pcrel_word - PC relative relocation, add the relocated value to
+ /// \brief PC relative relocation, add the relocated value to
/// the value already in memory, after we adjust it for where the PC is.
reloc_pcrel_word = 0,
- /// reloc_picrel_word - PIC base relative relocation, add the relocated
- /// value to the value already in memory, after we adjust it for where the
+ /// \brief PIC base relative relocation, add the relocated value to
+ /// the value already in memory, after we adjust it for where the
/// PIC base is.
reloc_picrel_word = 1,
- /// reloc_absolute_word, reloc_absolute_dword - Absolute relocation, just
- /// add the relocated value to the value already in memory.
+ /// \brief Absolute relocation, just add the relocated value to the
+ /// value already in memory.
reloc_absolute_word = 2,
reloc_absolute_dword = 3
};
namespace llvm {
namespace knowledge {
- /// Grokable - This class represents things that Smith can have an intimate
+ /// This class represents things that Smith can have an intimate
/// understanding of and contains the data associated with it.
class Grokable {
...
See Also
========
-A lot of these comments and recommendations have been culled for other sources.
+A lot of these comments and recommendations have been culled from other sources.
Two particularly important books for our work are:
#. `Effective C++
projects / oota-llvm.git / blobdiff