Re: [PATCH v13 2/5] rust: support formatting of foreign types

[Andrew Lunn <andrew@lunn.ch>]

On Thu, Jul 03, 2025 at 02:55:30PM -0400, Tamir Duberstein wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 3, 2025 at 11:08 AM Benno Lossin <lossin@kernel.org> wrote:
> >
> > On Thu Jul 3, 2025 at 3:55 PM CEST, Tamir Duberstein wrote:
> > > On Thu, Jul 3, 2025 at 5:32 AM Benno Lossin <lossin@kernel.org> wrote:
> > >> On Tue Jul 1, 2025 at 6:49 PM CEST, Tamir Duberstein wrote:
> > >> > Introduce a `fmt!` macro which wraps all arguments in
> > >> > `kernel::fmt::Adapter` and a `kernel::fmt::Display` trait. This enables
> > >> > formatting of foreign types (like `core::ffi::CStr`) that do not
> > >> > implement `core::fmt::Display` due to concerns around lossy conversions which
> > >> > do not apply in the kernel.
> > >> >
> > >> > Replace all direct calls to `format_args!` with `fmt!`.
> > >> >
> > >> > Replace all implementations of `core::fmt::Display` with implementations
> > >> > of `kernel::fmt::Display`.
> > >> >
> > >> > Suggested-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>
> > >> > Link: https://rust-for-linux.zulipchat.com/#narrow/channel/288089-General/topic/Custom.20formatting/with/516476467
> > >> > Acked-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
> > >> > Reviewed-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@google.com>
> > >> > Signed-off-by: Tamir Duberstein <tamird@gmail.com>
> > >> > ---
> > >> >  drivers/block/rnull.rs       |  2 +-
> > >> >  drivers/gpu/nova-core/gpu.rs |  4 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/block/mq.rs      |  2 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/device.rs        |  2 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/fmt.rs           | 89 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >> >  rust/kernel/kunit.rs         |  6 +--
> > >> >  rust/kernel/lib.rs           |  1 +
> > >> >  rust/kernel/prelude.rs       |  3 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/print.rs         |  4 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/seq_file.rs      |  2 +-
> > >> >  rust/kernel/str.rs           | 22 ++++------
> > >> >  rust/macros/fmt.rs           | 99 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > >> >  rust/macros/lib.rs           | 19 +++++++++
> > >> >  rust/macros/quote.rs         |  7 ++++
> > >> >  scripts/rustdoc_test_gen.rs  |  2 +-
> > >> >  15 files changed, 236 insertions(+), 28 deletions(-)
> > >>
> > >> This would be a lot easier to review if he proc-macro and the call
> > >> replacement were different patches.
> > >>
> > >> Also the `kernel/fmt.rs` file should be a different commit.
> > >
> > > Can you help me understand why? The changes you ask to be separated
> > > would all be in different files, so why would separate commits make it
> > > easier to review?
> >
> > It takes less time to go through the entire patch and give a RB. I can
> > take smaller time chunks and don't have to get back into the entire
> > context of the patch when I don't have 30-60min available.
> 
> Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, the requirement to RB the entire patch
> does mean there's a benefit to smaller patches.

I often tell kernel newbies:

Lots of small patches which are obviously correct.

A small patch tends to be more obviously correct than a big patch. The
commit message is more focused and helpful because it refers to a
small chunk of code. Because the commit message is more focused, it
can answer questions reviewers might ask, before they ask them. If i
can spend 60 seconds looking at a patch and decide it looks correct,
i'm more likely to actually look at it and give a reviewed by. If i
need to find 10 minutes, it is going to get put off for a later
time. Many reviewers just have a few minutes here, a few there,
slotted into time between other tasks, while drinking coffee, etc.

	Andrew