Clippy pointer cast lint experiment

src/librustc_typeck/check/cast.rs

@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> FnCtxt<'a, 'tcx> {
 }
 
 #[derive(Copy, Clone)]
-enum CastError {
+pub enum CastError {
     ErrorReported,
 
     CastToBool,
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> CastCheck<'tcx> {
     /// Checks a cast, and report an error if one exists. In some cases, this
     /// can return Ok and create type errors in the fcx rather than returning
     /// directly. coercion-cast is handled in check instead of here.
-    fn do_check(&self, fcx: &FnCtxt<'a, 'tcx>) -> Result<CastKind, CastError> {
+    pub fn do_check(&self, fcx: &FnCtxt<'a, 'tcx>) -> Result<CastKind, CastError> {
         use rustc_middle::ty::cast::CastTy::*;
         use rustc_middle::ty::cast::IntTy::*;
 

src/librustc_typeck/check/mod.rs

@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ type parameter).
 pub mod _match;
 mod autoderef;
 mod callee;
-mod cast;
+pub mod cast;
 mod closure;
 pub mod coercion;
 mod compare_method;
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ impl Inherited<'_, 'tcx> {
 }
 
 impl<'tcx> InheritedBuilder<'tcx> {
-    fn enter<F, R>(&mut self, f: F) -> R
+    pub fn enter<F, R>(&mut self, f: F) -> R
     where
         F: for<'a> FnOnce(Inherited<'a, 'tcx>) -> R,
     {

src/librustc_typeck/lib.rs

@@ -74,11 +74,11 @@ extern crate log;
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate rustc_middle;
 
-// This is used by Clippy.
+// These are used by Clippy.
+pub mod check;
 pub mod expr_use_visitor;
 
 mod astconv;
-mod check;
 mod check_unused;
 mod coherence;
 mod collect;

src/tools/clippy/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1730,6 +1730,7 @@ Released 2018-09-13
 [`transmute_int_to_float`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#transmute_int_to_float
 [`transmute_ptr_to_ptr`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#transmute_ptr_to_ptr
 [`transmute_ptr_to_ref`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#transmute_ptr_to_ref
+[`transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts
 [`transmuting_null`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#transmuting_null
 [`trivial_regex`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#trivial_regex
 [`trivially_copy_pass_by_ref`]: https://rust-lang.github.io/rust-clippy/master/index.html#trivially_copy_pass_by_ref

src/tools/clippy/clippy_lints/src/lib.rs

@@ -788,6 +788,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(store: &mut rustc_lint::LintStore, sess: &Session, conf:
         &to_digit_is_some::TO_DIGIT_IS_SOME,
         &trait_bounds::TYPE_REPETITION_IN_BOUNDS,
         &transmute::CROSSPOINTER_TRANSMUTE,
+        &transmute::TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS,
         &transmute::TRANSMUTE_BYTES_TO_STR,
         &transmute::TRANSMUTE_FLOAT_TO_INT,
         &transmute::TRANSMUTE_INT_TO_BOOL,
@@ -1417,6 +1418,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(store: &mut rustc_lint::LintStore, sess: &Session, conf:
         LintId::of(&temporary_assignment::TEMPORARY_ASSIGNMENT),
         LintId::of(&to_digit_is_some::TO_DIGIT_IS_SOME),
         LintId::of(&transmute::CROSSPOINTER_TRANSMUTE),
+        LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_BYTES_TO_STR),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_FLOAT_TO_INT),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_INT_TO_BOOL),
@@ -1617,6 +1619,7 @@ pub fn register_plugins(store: &mut rustc_lint::LintStore, sess: &Session, conf:
         LintId::of(&swap::MANUAL_SWAP),
         LintId::of(&temporary_assignment::TEMPORARY_ASSIGNMENT),
         LintId::of(&transmute::CROSSPOINTER_TRANSMUTE),
+        LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_BYTES_TO_STR),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_FLOAT_TO_INT),
         LintId::of(&transmute::TRANSMUTE_INT_TO_BOOL),

src/tools/clippy/clippy_lints/src/transmute.rs

@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ use rustc_ast::ast;
 use rustc_errors::Applicability;
 use rustc_hir::{Expr, ExprKind, GenericArg, Mutability, QPath, TyKind, UnOp};
 use rustc_lint::{LateContext, LateLintPass};
-use rustc_middle::ty::{self, Ty};
+use rustc_middle::ty::{self, cast::CastKind, Ty};
 use rustc_session::{declare_lint_pass, declare_tool_lint};
+use rustc_span::DUMMY_SP;
+use rustc_typeck::check::{cast::CastCheck, FnCtxt, Inherited};
 use std::borrow::Cow;
 
 declare_clippy_lint! {
@@ -48,6 +50,29 @@ declare_clippy_lint! {
     "transmutes that have the same to and from types or could be a cast/coercion"
 }
 
+// FIXME: Merge this lint with USELESS_TRANSMUTE once that is out of the nursery.
+declare_clippy_lint! {
+    /// **What it does:**Checks for transmutes that could be a pointer cast.
+    ///
+    /// **Why is this bad?** Readability. The code tricks people into thinking that
+    /// something complex is going on.
+    ///
+    /// **Known problems:** None.
+    ///
+    /// **Example:**
+    ///
+    /// ```rust,ignore
+    /// core::intrinsics::transmute::<*const [i32], *const [u16]>(p)
+    /// ```
+    /// Use instead:
+    /// ```rust
+    /// p as *const [u16]
+    /// ```
+    pub TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS,
+    complexity,
+    "transmutes that could be a pointer cast"
+}
+
 declare_clippy_lint! {
     /// **What it does:** Checks for transmutes between a type `T` and `*T`.
     ///
@@ -269,6 +294,7 @@ declare_clippy_lint! {
     correctness,
     "transmute between collections of layout-incompatible types"
 }
+
 declare_lint_pass!(Transmute => [
     CROSSPOINTER_TRANSMUTE,
     TRANSMUTE_PTR_TO_REF,
@@ -281,6 +307,7 @@ declare_lint_pass!(Transmute => [
     TRANSMUTE_INT_TO_FLOAT,
     TRANSMUTE_FLOAT_TO_INT,
     UNSOUND_COLLECTION_TRANSMUTE,
+    TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS,
 ]);
 
 // used to check for UNSOUND_COLLECTION_TRANSMUTE
@@ -601,7 +628,25 @@ impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for Transmute {
                             );
                         }
                     },
-                    _ => return,
+                    (_, _) if can_be_expressed_as_pointer_cast(cx, e, from_ty, to_ty) => span_lint_and_then(
+                        cx,
+                        TRANSMUTES_EXPRESSIBLE_AS_PTR_CASTS,
+                        e.span,
+                        &format!(
+                            "transmute from `{}` to `{}` which could be expressed as a pointer cast instead",
+                            from_ty,
+                            to_ty
+                        ),
+                        |diag| {
+                            if let Some(arg) = sugg::Sugg::hir_opt(cx, &args[0]) {
+                                let sugg = arg.as_ty(&to_ty.to_string()).to_string();
+                                diag.span_suggestion(e.span, "try", sugg, Applicability::Unspecified);
+                            }
+                        }
+                    ),
+                    _ => {
+                        return;
+                    },
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -648,3 +693,59 @@ fn is_layout_incompatible<'tcx>(cx: &LateContext<'tcx>, from: Ty<'tcx>, to: Ty<'
         false
     }
 }
+
+/// Check if the the type conversion can be expressed as a pointer cast, instead of
+/// a transmute. In certain cases, including some invalid casts from array
+/// references to pointers, this may cause additional errors to be emitted and/or
+/// ICE error messages. This function will panic if that occurs.
+fn can_be_expressed_as_pointer_cast<'tcx>(
+    cx: &LateContext<'tcx>,
+    e: &'tcx Expr<'_>,
+    from_ty: Ty<'tcx>,
+    to_ty: Ty<'tcx>,
+) -> bool {
+    use CastKind::*;
+    matches!(
+        check_cast(cx, e, from_ty, to_ty),
+        Some(PtrPtrCast | PtrAddrCast | AddrPtrCast | ArrayPtrCast | FnPtrPtrCast | FnPtrAddrCast)
+    )
+}
+
+/// If a cast from from_ty to to_ty is valid, returns an Ok containing the kind of
+/// the cast. In certain cases, including some invalid casts from array references
+/// to pointers, this may cause additional errors to be emitted and/or ICE error
+/// messages. This function will panic if that occurs.
+fn check_cast<'tcx>(cx: &LateContext<'tcx>, e: &'tcx Expr<'_>, from_ty: Ty<'tcx>, to_ty: Ty<'tcx>) -> Option<CastKind> {
+    let hir_id = e.hir_id;
+    let local_def_id = hir_id.owner;
+
+    Inherited::build(cx.tcx, local_def_id).enter(|inherited| {
+        let fn_ctxt = FnCtxt::new(&inherited, cx.param_env, hir_id);
+
+        // If we already have errors, we can't be sure we can pointer cast.
+        assert!(
+            !fn_ctxt.errors_reported_since_creation(),
+            "Newly created FnCtxt contained errors"
+        );
+
+        if let Ok(check) = CastCheck::new(
+            &fn_ctxt, e, from_ty, to_ty,
+            // We won't show any error to the user, so we don't care what the span is here.
+            DUMMY_SP, DUMMY_SP,
+        ) {
+            let res = check.do_check(&fn_ctxt);
+
+            // do_check's documentation says that it might return Ok and create
+            // errors in the fcx instead of returing Err in some cases. Those cases
+            // should be filtered out before getting here.
+            assert!(
+                !fn_ctxt.errors_reported_since_creation(),
+                "`fn_ctxt` contained errors after cast check!"
+            );
+
+            res.ok()
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    })
+}

src/tools/clippy/src/lintlist/mod.rs

@@ -2215,6 +2215,13 @@ pub static ref ALL_LINTS: Vec<Lint> = vec![
         deprecation: None,
         module: "transmute",
     },
+    Lint {
+        name: "transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts",
+        group: "complexity",
+        desc: "transmutes that could be a pointer cast",
+        deprecation: None,
+        module: "transmute",
+    },
     Lint {
         name: "transmuting_null",
         group: "correctness",

src/tools/clippy/tests/ui/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#![warn(clippy::transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts)]
+// These two warnings currrently cover the cases transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts
+// would otherwise be responsible for
+#![warn(clippy::useless_transmute)]
+#![warn(clippy::transmute_ptr_to_ptr)]
+
+use std::mem::transmute;
+
+// rustc_typeck::check::cast contains documentation about when a cast `e as U` is 
+// valid, which we quote from below.
+
+fn main() {
+    // We should see an error message for each transmute, and no error messages for
+    // the casts, since the casts are the recommended fixes.
+
+    // e is an integer and U is *U_0, while U_0: Sized; addr-ptr-cast
+    let ptr_i32_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<isize, *const i32>(-1)
+    };
+    let ptr_i32 = -1isize as *const i32;
+
+    // e has type *T, U is *U_0, and either U_0: Sized ...
+    let ptr_i8_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<*const i32, *const i8>(ptr_i32)
+    };
+    let ptr_i8 = ptr_i32 as *const i8;
+
+    let slice_ptr = &[0,1,2,3] as *const [i32];
+
+    // ... or pointer_kind(T) = pointer_kind(U_0); ptr-ptr-cast
+    let ptr_to_unsized_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<*const [i32], *const [u16]>(slice_ptr)
+    };
+    let ptr_to_unsized = slice_ptr as *const [u16];
+    // TODO: We could try testing vtable casts here too, but maybe
+    // we should wait until std::raw::TraitObject is stabilized?
+
+    // e has type *T and U is a numeric type, while T: Sized; ptr-addr-cast
+    let usize_from_int_ptr_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<*const i32, usize>(ptr_i32)
+    };
+    let usize_from_int_ptr = ptr_i32 as usize;
+
+    let array_ref: &[i32; 4] = &[1,2,3,4];
+
+    // e has type &[T; n] and U is *const T; array-ptr-cast
+    let array_ptr_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<&[i32; 4], *const [i32; 4]>(array_ref)
+    };
+    let array_ptr = array_ref as *const [i32; 4];
+
+    fn foo(_: usize) -> u8 { 42 }
+
+    // e is a function pointer type and U has type *T, while T: Sized; fptr-ptr-cast
+    let usize_ptr_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<fn(usize) -> u8, *const usize>(foo)
+    };
+    let usize_ptr_transmute = foo as *const usize;
+
+    // e is a function pointer type and U is an integer; fptr-addr-cast
+    let usize_from_fn_ptr_transmute = unsafe {
+        transmute::<fn(usize) -> u8, usize>(foo)
+    };
+    let usize_from_fn_ptr = foo as *const usize;
+}
+
+// If a ref-to-ptr cast of this form where the pointer type points to a type other
+// than the referenced type, calling `CastCheck::do_check` has been observed to
+// cause an ICE error message. `do_check` is currently called inside the
+// `transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts` check, but other, more specific lints
+// currently prevent it from being called in these cases. This test is meant to
+// fail if the ordering of the checks ever changes enough to cause these cases to
+// fall through into `do_check`.
+fn trigger_do_check_to_emit_error(in_param: &[i32; 1]) -> *const u8 {
+    unsafe { transmute::<&[i32; 1], *const u8>(in_param) }
+}

src/tools/clippy/tests/ui/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.stderr

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+error: transmute from an integer to a pointer
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:18:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<isize, *const i32>(-1)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `-1 as *const i32`
+   |
+   = note: `-D clippy::useless-transmute` implied by `-D warnings`
+
+error: transmute from a pointer to a pointer
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:24:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<*const i32, *const i8>(ptr_i32)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `ptr_i32 as *const i8`
+   |
+   = note: `-D clippy::transmute-ptr-to-ptr` implied by `-D warnings`
+
+error: transmute from a pointer to a pointer
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:32:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<*const [i32], *const [u16]>(slice_ptr)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `slice_ptr as *const [u16]`
+
+error: transmute from `*const i32` to `usize` which could be expressed as a pointer cast instead
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:40:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<*const i32, usize>(ptr_i32)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `ptr_i32 as usize`
+   |
+   = note: `-D clippy::transmutes-expressible-as-ptr-casts` implied by `-D warnings`
+
+error: transmute from a reference to a pointer
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:48:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<&[i32; 4], *const [i32; 4]>(array_ref)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `array_ref as *const [i32; 4]`
+
+error: transmute from `fn(usize) -> u8 {main::foo}` to `*const usize` which could be expressed as a pointer cast instead
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:56:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<fn(usize) -> u8, *const usize>(foo)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `foo as *const usize`
+
+error: transmute from `fn(usize) -> u8 {main::foo}` to `usize` which could be expressed as a pointer cast instead
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:62:9
+   |
+LL |         transmute::<fn(usize) -> u8, usize>(foo)
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `foo as usize`
+
+error: transmute from a reference to a pointer
+  --> $DIR/transmutes_expressible_as_ptr_casts.rs:75:14
+   |
+LL |     unsafe { transmute::<&[i32; 1], *const u8>(in_param) }
+   |              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ help: try: `in_param as *const [i32; 1] as *const u8`
+
+error: aborting due to 8 previous errors
+