Subject: Re: [PATCH v3] git-compat-util.h: implement a different ARRAY_SIZE macro for for safely deriving the size of array

From: Junio C Hamano <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:20:11 -0700

Elia Pinto <[email-masked]> writes:

> To get number of elements in an array git use the ARRAY_SIZE macro
> defined as:
>
>        #define ARRAY_SIZE(x) (sizeof(x)/sizeof((x)[0]))
>
> The problem with it is a possibility of mistakenly passing to it a
> pointer instead an array. The ARRAY_SIZE macro as conventionally
> defined does not provide good type-safety and the open-coded
> approach is more fragile, more verbose and provides no improvement in
> type-safety.
>
> Use instead a different but compatible ARRAY_SIZE() macro,
> which will also break compile if you try to
> use it on a pointer. This implemention revert to the original code
> if the compiler doesn't know the typeof and __builtin_types_compatible_p
> GCC extensions.
>
> This can ensure our code is robust to changes, without
> needing a gratuitous macro or constant. A similar
> ARRAY_SIZE implementation also exists in the linux kernel.
>
> Credits to Rusty Russell and his ccan library.
>
> Signed-off-by: Elia Pinto <[email-masked]>
> ---
>  git-compat-util.h | 54 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
>  1 file changed, 53 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> This is the third version of the patch.
>
> Compared to the second version:
>
> - Eliminated the autoconf use. I use instead the GCC (and compatible compilers) macros
>   for checking if the not portable builtin is supported or not ("Jeff suggestion")
> - Changed the name of the macro from _array_size_chk to BARF_IF_IS_NOT_AN_ARRAY i
>  ("Junio suggestion. In ALL_CAPS for the Jeff comment )"

Thanks.  Allow me to s/BARF_IF_IS_NOT_AN_ARRAY/BARF_UNLESS_AN_ARRAY/
everywhere for brevity while applying.