Legal values for a Box<T> where T is zero-sized

[nikomatsakis]

On IRC, @mystor asked me whether, given some zero-sized type ZST, it would be legal to represent Box<ZST> using some arbitrary non-null value, or must it be a particular value (e.g., 1)?

For example, if there is a pointer p to some stack variable, can one write unsafe { Box::from_raw(p as *mut ZST) } and have that be a legal box?

[mystor]

If this is a legal box as well, is it safe to assume that the compiler will never decide to not propagate the given value, and just give 1 whenever asked for what the pointer value is for a boxed zero sized type?

[Amanieu]

I'm of the opinion that Box::from_raw should only ever be called with a pointer allocated by Box::new.

Conceptually, we are allocating a zero-sized block of memory (which may have malloc headers, so the real allocation may be bigger than zero), and we should use the same pointer value when we are freeing it.

The fact that Box::new currently always returns a pointer value of 1 is an implementation detail: it's just an optimization to avoid allocating zero-sized blocks of memory.

[arielb1]

My preference is that any non-null value is a valid pointer to a 0-sized type.

Also, for things to make sense, all reborrows would have to prefer that value, e.g.:

struct Foo((), ());

fn addr_of<T>(t: &T) -> usize { t as *const T as usize }
fn main() {
    let foo = unsafe { &*(0x1337 as *const Foo) };
    assert_eq!(addr_of(foo), 0x1337);
    assert_eq!(addr_of(&*foo), 0x1337);
    assert_eq!(addr_of(&foo.0), 0x1337);
    assert_eq!(addr_of(&foo.1), 0x1337);
}

[strega-nil]

@arielb1 I don't think so. &foo is it's own object, not a ZST.

edit: nvm :P

[arielb1]

Whatever is legal for Box is more of a library issue. I think programmers want to rely on Box::<ZST>::new() being copyable and being a "const fn".

[strega-nil]

@arielb1 I... don't know if I agree? I think we should be able to say that Box::<Zst>::new() may allocate, just like malloc(0). It might, for example, do some debug info thing.

[arielb1]

That would be a breaking change.

[strega-nil]

Is it? Do we ever say that we won't allocate? I guess it is literally a breaking change... but have we made promises in this area?

[arielb1]

A breaking change is a change that breaks user code. If we're going around making these kinds of breaking changes we might as well reverse struct drop order and be done with it.

[strega-nil]

@arielb1 well... I just need to write that RFC :)

[nikomatsakis]

So really there are two questions here that should be separated out. One is what is legal in terms of Box<T> (for any T, but especially ZST), and the other is what about pointers to unsized types. I am going to rename this issue heading to be specific to Box<T> and then open a second for the more general question, I guess. Then I'll give my two cents. =)

[nikomatsakis]

My feeling is that Box should be relatively transparent -- for example, I would tie its value specifically to the default allocator, and document the behavior for ZST. So, if the type is ZST, then we do not invoke free -- otherwise, the pointer can be any pointer which can legally be given to the default allocator to be freed (and which is not aliased).

This would mean that, for example, it may well be legal to take a *T from C which was allocated with malloc and convert it to a Box, as long as you know that the default allocator is C malloc. This seems like a useful bit of interop, if perhaps not the most recommended pattern (because it limits portability).

(Also, of course, if Box becomes customizable with respect to its allocator, then basically all of this logic still stands, but with respect to the allocator for that given box.)