build/eal: add OS defines for C conditional checks

  Define a set of macros in the build configuration to allow C runtime
code to check the current OS environment. This saves the user having to
use ifdefs for e.g. disabling particular tests on Windows. See included
documentation changes for usage examples.

Signed-off-by: Bruce Richardson <bruce.richardson@intel.com>
---
 doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++--
 lib/eal/meson.build                      |  7 ++++
 2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
  

On Fri, Dec 10, 2021 at 8:23 PM Bruce Richardson
<bruce.richardson@intel.com> wrote:
>
> Define a set of macros in the build configuration to allow C runtime
> code to check the current OS environment. This saves the user having to
> use ifdefs for e.g. disabling particular tests on Windows. See included
> documentation changes for usage examples.
>
> Signed-off-by: Bruce Richardson <bruce.richardson@intel.com>

Acked-by: Jerin Jacob <jerinj@marvell.com>


> ---
>  doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++--
>  lib/eal/meson.build                      |  7 ++++
>  2 files changed, 47 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst b/doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst
> index 0ec37c019b..e52ecb2b60 100644
> --- a/doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst
> +++ b/doc/guides/contributing/coding_style.rst
> @@ -136,6 +136,12 @@ For example:
>  Conditional Compilation
>  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> +.. note::
> +
> + Conditional compilation should be used only when absolutely necessary, as it increases the number of target binaries that need to be built and tested.
> + See below for details of some utility macros/defines available to allow ifdefs/macros to be replaced by C conditional in some cases.
> +
> +
>  * When code is conditionally compiled using ``#ifdef`` or ``#if``, a comment may be added following the matching
>    ``#endif`` or ``#else`` to permit the reader to easily discern where conditionally compiled code regions end.
>  * This comment should be used only for (subjectively) long regions, regions greater than 20 lines, or where a series of nested ``#ifdef``'s may be confusing to the reader.
> @@ -165,9 +171,41 @@ Conditional Compilation
>   /* Or here. */
>   #endif /* !COMPAT_43 */
>
> -.. note::
> +Defines to Avoid Conditional Compilation
> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> +
> +In many cases in DPDK, one wants to optionally compile code based on the target platform,
> +or runtime environment.
> +While this can be done using the conditional compilation directives,
> +e.g. ``#ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_LINUX``, present in DPDK for many releases,
> +this can also be done in many cases using regular ``if`` statements and the following defines:
> +
> +* ``RTE_ENV_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_ENV_LINUX``, ``RTE_ENV_WINDOWS`` - these define ids for each operating system environment.
> +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV`` - this defines the id of the current environment, i.e. one of the items in list above.
> +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_LINUX``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_WINDOWS`` - 0/1 values indicating if the current environment is that specified,
> +  shortcuts for checking e.g. ``RTE_EXEC_ENV == RTE_ENV_WINDOWS``
> +
> +Examples of use:
> +
> +.. code-block:: c
> +
> +  /* report a unit tests as unsupported on Windows */
> +  if (RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_WINDOWS)
> +     return TEST_SKIPPED;
> +
> +  /* set different default values depending on OS Environment */
> +  switch (RTE_EXEC_ENV) {
> +     case RTE_ENV_FREEBSD:
> +         default = x;
> +         break;
> +     case RTE_ENV_LINUX:
> +         default = y;
> +         break;
> +     case RTE_ENV_WINDOWS:
> +         default = z;
> +         break;
> +  }
>
> - Conditional compilation should be used only when absolutely necessary, as it increases the number of target binaries that need to be built and tested.
>
>  C Types
>  -------
> diff --git a/lib/eal/meson.build b/lib/eal/meson.build
> index 1722924f67..056beb9461 100644
> --- a/lib/eal/meson.build
> +++ b/lib/eal/meson.build
> @@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ if not is_windows
>      subdir('unix')
>  endif
>
> +exec_envs = {'freebsd': 0, 'linux': 1, 'windows': 2}
> +foreach env, id:exec_envs
> +    dpdk_conf.set('RTE_ENV_' + env.to_upper(), id)
> +    dpdk_conf.set10('RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_' + env.to_upper(), (exec_env == env))
> +endforeach
> +dpdk_conf.set('RTE_EXEC_ENV', exec_envs[exec_env])
> +
>  dpdk_conf.set('RTE_EXEC_ENV_' + exec_env.to_upper(), 1)
>  subdir(exec_env)
>
> --
> 2.32.0
>
  

2021-12-10 14:53 (UTC+0000), Bruce Richardson:
[...]

Acked-by: Dmitry Kozlyuk <dmitry.kozliuk@gmail.com>
with one typo below and some considerations for the future in the bottom.

> +Defines to Avoid Conditional Compilation
> +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> +
> +In many cases in DPDK, one wants to optionally compile code based on the target platform,
> +or runtime environment.

"Compile" -> "run", that's the point to use conditionals instead of macros.

> +While this can be done using the conditional compilation directives,
> +e.g. ``#ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_LINUX``, present in DPDK for many releases,
> +this can also be done in many cases using regular ``if`` statements and the following defines:

> +
> +* ``RTE_ENV_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_ENV_LINUX``, ``RTE_ENV_WINDOWS`` - these define ids for each operating system environment.
> +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV`` - this defines the id of the current environment, i.e. one of the items in list above.
> +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_LINUX``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_WINDOWS`` - 0/1 values indicating if the current environment is that specified,
> +  shortcuts for checking e.g. ``RTE_EXEC_ENV == RTE_ENV_WINDOWS``
[...]

I wonder whether #if RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_xxx
should be preferred over #ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_xxx,
so that all checks use the same symbol
(and then remove old macros one day).

Since C conditionals are preferred over #ifdef,
I suggest to give pointers when to use one or another mechanism:

	If a code fragment can compile on all platforms,
	but cannot run on some due to lack of support,
	branch on constants.

	If a code fragment cannot compile on all platforms
	(e.g. use of OS-specific headers or macros),
	but constitutes only a small fraction of the file,
	use conditional compilation.

	If a group of functions implement an interface
	in an OS- or platform-specific way,
	create a file for each of the supported environments
	and plug an appropriate file from ``meson.build``.
  

On Tue, Dec 14, 2021 at 01:58:03AM +0300, Dmitry Kozlyuk wrote:
> 2021-12-10 14:53 (UTC+0000), Bruce Richardson:
> [...]
> 
> Acked-by: Dmitry Kozlyuk <dmitry.kozliuk@gmail.com>
> with one typo below and some considerations for the future in the bottom.
> 
> > +Defines to Avoid Conditional Compilation
> > +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > +
> > +In many cases in DPDK, one wants to optionally compile code based on the target platform,
> > +or runtime environment.
> 
> "Compile" -> "run", that's the point to use conditionals instead of macros.
> 
> > +While this can be done using the conditional compilation directives,
> > +e.g. ``#ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_LINUX``, present in DPDK for many releases,
> > +this can also be done in many cases using regular ``if`` statements and the following defines:
> 
> > +
> > +* ``RTE_ENV_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_ENV_LINUX``, ``RTE_ENV_WINDOWS`` - these define ids for each operating system environment.
> > +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV`` - this defines the id of the current environment, i.e. one of the items in list above.
> > +* ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_FREEBSD``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_LINUX``, ``RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_WINDOWS`` - 0/1 values indicating if the current environment is that specified,
> > +  shortcuts for checking e.g. ``RTE_EXEC_ENV == RTE_ENV_WINDOWS``
> [...]
> 
> I wonder whether #if RTE_EXEC_ENV_IS_xxx
> should be preferred over #ifdef RTE_EXEC_ENV_xxx,
> so that all checks use the same symbol
> (and then remove old macros one day).
> 
> Since C conditionals are preferred over #ifdef,
> I suggest to give pointers when to use one or another mechanism:
> 
> 	If a code fragment can compile on all platforms,
> 	but cannot run on some due to lack of support,
> 	branch on constants.
> 
> 	If a code fragment cannot compile on all platforms
> 	(e.g. use of OS-specific headers or macros),
> 	but constitutes only a small fraction of the file,
> 	use conditional compilation.
> 
> 	If a group of functions implement an interface
> 	in an OS- or platform-specific way,
> 	create a file for each of the supported environments
> 	and plug an appropriate file from ``meson.build``.

Good suggestions. I rework into a v2 when I get the chance.

/Bruce