[PATCH 04/11] rust: macros: use `syn` to parse `module!` macro

Gary Guo
2025-12-11T19:29:38Z

From: Gary Guo <gary@garyguo.net>

With `syn` being available in the kernel, use it to parse the complex
custom `module!` macro to replace existing helpers. Only parsing is
changed in this commit, the code generation is untouched.

This has the benefit of better error message when the macro is used
incorrectly, as it can point to a concrete span on what's going wrong.

For example, if a field is specified twice, previously it reads:

error: proc macro panicked
--> samples/rust/rust_minimal.rs:7:1
|
7 | / module! {
8 | | type: RustMinimal,
9 | | name: "rust_minimal",
10 | | author: "Rust for Linux Contributors",
11 | | description: "Rust minimal sample",
12 | | license: "GPL",
13 | | license: "GPL",
14 | | }
| |_^
|
= help: message: Duplicated key "license". Keys can only be specified once.

now it reads:

error: duplicated key "license". Keys can only be specified once.
--> samples/rust/rust_minimal.rs:13:5
|
13 | license: "GPL",
| ^^^^^^^

Co-developed-by: Benno Lossin <lossin@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Benno Lossin <lossin@kernel.org>
Signed-off-by: Gary Guo <gary@garyguo.net>
---
rust/macros/helpers.rs | 84 ++++++----------
rust/macros/lib.rs | 9 +-
rust/macros/module.rs | 220 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-----------
3 files changed, 202 insertions(+), 111 deletions(-)

diff --git a/rust/macros/helpers.rs b/rust/macros/helpers.rs
index 853527b5d9567..f6bbdb02d9d7d 100644
--- a/rust/macros/helpers.rs
+++ b/rust/macros/helpers.rs
@@ -1,42 +1,21 @@
// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0

-use proc_macro2::{token_stream, Group, Ident, TokenStream, TokenTree};
-
-pub(crate) fn try_ident(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Option<String> {
- if let Some(TokenTree::Ident(ident)) = it.next() {
- Some(ident.to_string())
- } else {
- None
- }
-}
-
-pub(crate) fn try_literal(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Option<String> {
- if let Some(TokenTree::Literal(literal)) = it.next() {
- Some(literal.to_string())
- } else {
- None
- }
-}
-
-pub(crate) fn try_string(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Option<String> {
- try_literal(it).and_then(|string| {
- if string.starts_with('\"') && string.ends_with('\"') {
- let content = &string[1..string.len() - 1];
- if content.contains('\\') {
- panic!("Escape sequences in string literals not yet handled");
- }
- Some(content.to_string())
- } else if string.starts_with("r\"") {
- panic!("Raw string literals are not yet handled");
- } else {
- None
- }
- })
-}
-
-pub(crate) fn expect_ident(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> String {
- try_ident(it).expect("Expected Ident")
-}
+use proc_macro2::{
+ token_stream,
+ Ident,
+ TokenStream,
+ TokenTree, //
+};
+use quote::ToTokens;
+use syn::{
+ parse::{
+ Parse,
+ ParseStream, //
+ },
+ Error,
+ LitStr,
+ Result, //
+};

pub(crate) fn expect_punct(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> char {
if let TokenTree::Punct(punct) = it.next().expect("Reached end of token stream for Punct") {
@@ -46,27 +25,28 @@ pub(crate) fn expect_punct(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> char {
}
}

-pub(crate) fn expect_string(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> String {
- try_string(it).expect("Expected string")
-}
+/// A string literal that is required to have ASCII value only.
+pub(crate) struct AsciiLitStr(LitStr);

-pub(crate) fn expect_string_ascii(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> String {
- let string = try_string(it).expect("Expected string");
- assert!(string.is_ascii(), "Expected ASCII string");
- string
+impl Parse for AsciiLitStr {
+ fn parse(input: ParseStream<'_>) -> Result<Self> {
+ let s: LitStr = input.parse()?;
+ if !s.value().is_ascii() {
+ return Err(Error::new_spanned(s, "expected ASCII-only string literal"));
+ }
+ Ok(Self(s))
+ }
}

-pub(crate) fn expect_group(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Group {
- if let TokenTree::Group(group) = it.next().expect("Reached end of token stream for Group") {
- group
- } else {
- panic!("Expected Group");
+impl ToTokens for AsciiLitStr {
+ fn to_tokens(&self, ts: &mut TokenStream) {
+ self.0.to_tokens(ts);
}
}

-pub(crate) fn expect_end(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) {
- if it.next().is_some() {
- panic!("Expected end");
+impl AsciiLitStr {
+ pub(crate) fn value(&self) -> String {
+ self.0.value()
}
}

diff --git a/rust/macros/lib.rs b/rust/macros/lib.rs
index 33935b38d11c0..4e440deaed853 100644
--- a/rust/macros/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/macros/lib.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
// which was added in Rust 1.88.0. This is why `cfg_attr` is used here, i.e.
// to avoid depending on the full `proc_macro_span` on Rust >= 1.88.0.
#![cfg_attr(not(CONFIG_RUSTC_HAS_SPAN_FILE), feature(proc_macro_span))]
+//
+// Stable since Rust 1.81.0.
+#![feature(lint_reasons)]

mod concat_idents;
mod export;
@@ -100,8 +103,10 @@
/// - `firmware`: array of ASCII string literals of the firmware files of
/// the kernel module.
#[proc_macro]
-pub fn module(ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
- module::module(ts.into()).into()
+pub fn module(input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
+ module::module(parse_macro_input!(input))
+ .unwrap_or_else(|e| e.into_compile_error())
+ .into()
}

/// Declares or implements a vtable trait.
diff --git a/rust/macros/module.rs b/rust/macros/module.rs
index 6974fb04f58fa..e4d51878a5360 100644
--- a/rust/macros/module.rs
+++ b/rust/macros/module.rs
@@ -2,28 +2,27 @@

use std::fmt::Write;

-use proc_macro2::{token_stream, Delimiter, Literal, TokenStream, TokenTree};
+use proc_macro2::{
+ Literal,
+ TokenStream, //
+};
+use syn::{
+ bracketed,
+ parse::{
+ Parse,
+ ParseStream, //
+ },
+ punctuated::Punctuated,
+ token::Bracket,
+ Error,
+ Ident,
+ LitStr,
+ Result,
+ Token, //
+};

use crate::helpers::*;

-fn expect_string_array(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Vec<String> {
- let group = expect_group(it);
- assert_eq!(group.delimiter(), Delimiter::Bracket);
- let mut values = Vec::new();
- let mut it = group.stream().into_iter();
-
- while let Some(val) = try_string(&mut it) {
- assert!(val.is_ascii(), "Expected ASCII string");
- values.push(val);
- match it.next() {
- Some(TokenTree::Punct(punct)) => assert_eq!(punct.as_char(), ','),
- None => break,
- _ => panic!("Expected ',' or end of array"),
- }
- }
- values
-}
-
struct ModInfoBuilder<'a> {
module: &'a str,
counter: usize,
@@ -91,8 +90,107 @@ fn emit(&mut self, field: &str, content: &str) {
}
}

+mod kw {
+ syn::custom_keyword!(name);
+ syn::custom_keyword!(authors);
+ syn::custom_keyword!(description);
+ syn::custom_keyword!(license);
+ syn::custom_keyword!(alias);
+ syn::custom_keyword!(firmware);
+}
+
+#[allow(dead_code, reason = "some fields are only parsed into")]
+enum ModInfoField {
+ Type(Token![type], Token![:], Ident),
+ Name(kw::name, Token![:], AsciiLitStr),
+ Authors(
+ kw::authors,
+ Token![:],
+ Bracket,
+ Punctuated<LitStr, Token![,]>,
+ ),
+ Description(kw::description, Token![:], LitStr),
+ License(kw::license, Token![:], AsciiLitStr),
+ Alias(
+ kw::authors,
+ Token![:],
+ Bracket,
+ Punctuated<LitStr, Token![,]>,
+ ),
+ Firmware(
+ kw::firmware,
+ Token![:],
+ Bracket,
+ Punctuated<LitStr, Token![,]>,
+ ),
+}
+
+impl ModInfoField {
+ /// Obtain the key identifying the field.
+ fn key(&self) -> Ident {
+ match self {
+ ModInfoField::Type(key, ..) => Ident::new("type", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::Name(key, ..) => Ident::new("name", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::Authors(key, ..) => Ident::new("authors", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::Description(key, ..) => Ident::new("description", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::License(key, ..) => Ident::new("license", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::Alias(key, ..) => Ident::new("alias", key.span),
+ ModInfoField::Firmware(key, ..) => Ident::new("firmware", key.span),
+ }
+ }
+}
+
+impl Parse for ModInfoField {
+ fn parse(input: ParseStream<'_>) -> Result<Self> {
+ let key = input.lookahead1();
+ if key.peek(Token![type]) {
+ Ok(Self::Type(input.parse()?, input.parse()?, input.parse()?))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::name) {
+ Ok(Self::Name(input.parse()?, input.parse()?, input.parse()?))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::authors) {
+ let list;
+ Ok(Self::Authors(
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ bracketed!(list in input),
+ Punctuated::parse_terminated(&list)?,
+ ))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::description) {
+ Ok(Self::Description(
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ ))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::license) {
+ Ok(Self::License(
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ ))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::alias) {
+ let list;
+ Ok(Self::Alias(
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ bracketed!(list in input),
+ Punctuated::parse_terminated(&list)?,
+ ))
+ } else if key.peek(kw::firmware) {
+ let list;
+ Ok(Self::Firmware(
+ input.parse()?,
+ input.parse()?,
+ bracketed!(list in input),
+ Punctuated::parse_terminated(&list)?,
+ ))
+ } else {
+ Err(key.error())
+ }
+ }
+}
+
#[derive(Debug, Default)]
-struct ModuleInfo {
+pub(crate) struct ModuleInfo {
type_: String,
license: String,
name: String,
@@ -102,9 +200,13 @@ struct ModuleInfo {
firmware: Option<Vec<String>>,
}

-impl ModuleInfo {
- fn parse(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Self {
- let mut info = ModuleInfo::default();
+impl Parse for ModuleInfo {
+ fn parse(input: ParseStream<'_>) -> Result<Self> {
+ let mut info = Self::default();
+
+ let span = input.span();
+ let fields = Punctuated::<ModInfoField, Token![,]>::parse_terminated(input)?;
+ let mut errors = Vec::new();

const EXPECTED_KEYS: &[&str] = &[
"type",
@@ -118,40 +220,38 @@ fn parse(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Self {
const REQUIRED_KEYS: &[&str] = &["type", "name", "license"];
let mut seen_keys = Vec::new();

- loop {
- let key = match it.next() {
- Some(TokenTree::Ident(ident)) => ident.to_string(),
- Some(_) => panic!("Expected Ident or end"),
- None => break,
- };
+ for field in fields {
+ let key = field.key();

if seen_keys.contains(&key) {
- panic!("Duplicated key \"{key}\". Keys can only be specified once.");
+ errors.push(Error::new_spanned(
+ &key,
+ format!(r#"duplicated key "{key}". Keys can only be specified once."#),
+ ));
+ continue;
}
+ seen_keys.push(key);

- assert_eq!(expect_punct(it), ':');
-
- match key.as_str() {
- "type" => info.type_ = expect_ident(it),
- "name" => info.name = expect_string_ascii(it),
- "authors" => info.authors = Some(expect_string_array(it)),
- "description" => info.description = Some(expect_string(it)),
- "license" => info.license = expect_string_ascii(it),
- "alias" => info.alias = Some(expect_string_array(it)),
- "firmware" => info.firmware = Some(expect_string_array(it)),
- _ => panic!("Unknown key \"{key}\". Valid keys are: {EXPECTED_KEYS:?}."),
+ match field {
+ ModInfoField::Type(_, _, ty) => info.type_ = ty.to_string(),
+ ModInfoField::Name(_, _, name) => info.name = name.value(),
+ ModInfoField::Authors(_, _, _, list) => {
+ info.authors = Some(list.into_iter().map(|x| x.value()).collect())
+ }
+ ModInfoField::Description(_, _, desc) => info.description = Some(desc.value()),
+ ModInfoField::License(_, _, license) => info.license = license.value(),
+ ModInfoField::Alias(_, _, _, list) => {
+ info.alias = Some(list.into_iter().map(|x| x.value()).collect())
+ }
+ ModInfoField::Firmware(_, _, _, list) => {
+ info.firmware = Some(list.into_iter().map(|x| x.value()).collect())
+ }
}
-
- assert_eq!(expect_punct(it), ',');
-
- seen_keys.push(key);
}

- expect_end(it);
-
for key in REQUIRED_KEYS {
if !seen_keys.iter().any(|e| e == key) {
- panic!("Missing required key \"{key}\".");
+ errors.push(Error::new(span, format!(r#"missing required key "{key}""#)));
}
}

@@ -163,18 +263,24 @@ fn parse(it: &mut token_stream::IntoIter) -> Self {
}

if seen_keys != ordered_keys {
- panic!("Keys are not ordered as expected. Order them like: {ordered_keys:?}.");
+ errors.push(Error::new(
+ span,
+ format!(r#"keys are not ordered as expected. Order them like: {ordered_keys:?}."#),
+ ));
+ }
+
+ if let Some(err) = errors.into_iter().reduce(|mut e1, e2| {
+ e1.combine(e2);
+ e1
+ }) {
+ return Err(err);
}

- info
+ Ok(info)
}
}

-pub(crate) fn module(ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
- let mut it = ts.into_iter();
-
- let info = ModuleInfo::parse(&mut it);
-
+pub(crate) fn module(info: ModuleInfo) -> Result<TokenStream> {
// Rust does not allow hyphens in identifiers, use underscore instead.
let ident = info.name.replace('-', "_");
let mut modinfo = ModInfoBuilder::new(ident.as_ref());
@@ -203,7 +309,7 @@ pub(crate) fn module(ts: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
std::env::var("RUST_MODFILE").expect("Unable to fetch RUST_MODFILE environmental variable");
modinfo.emit_only_builtin("file", &file);

- format!(
+ Ok(format!(
"
/// The module name.
///
@@ -377,5 +483,5 @@ unsafe fn __exit() {{
initcall_section = ".initcall6.init"
)
.parse()
- .expect("Error parsing formatted string into token stream.")
+ .expect("Error parsing formatted string into token stream."))
}
--
2.51.2