1 # Common tools for writing lints
3 You may need following tooltips to catch up with common operations.
5 - [Common tools for writing lints](#common-tools-for-writing-lints)
6 - [Retrieving the type of an expression](#retrieving-the-type-of-an-expression)
7 - [Checking if an expression is calling a specific method](#checking-if-an-expr-is-calling-a-specific-method)
8 - [Checking if a type implements a specific trait](#checking-if-a-type-implements-a-specific-trait)
9 - [Checking if a type defines a specific method](#checking-if-a-type-defines-a-specific-method)
10 - [Dealing with macros](#dealing-with-macros)
12 Useful Rustc dev guide links:
13 - [Stages of compilation](https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/compiler-src.html#the-main-stages-of-compilation)
14 - [Type checking](https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/type-checking.html)
15 - [Ty module](https://rustc-dev-guide.rust-lang.org/ty.html)
17 # Retrieving the type of an expression
19 Sometimes you may want to retrieve the type `Ty` of an expression `Expr`, for example to answer following questions:
21 - which type does this expression correspond to (using its [`TyKind`][TyKind])?
23 - is it a primitive type?
24 - does it implement a trait?
26 This operation is performed using the [`expr_ty()`][expr_ty] method from the [`TypeckResults`][TypeckResults] struct,
27 that gives you access to the underlying structure [`TyS`][TyS].
31 impl LateLintPass<'_> for MyStructLint {
32 fn check_expr(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'_>, expr: &Expr<'_>) {
34 let ty = cx.typeck_results().expr_ty(expr);
35 // Match its kind to enter its type
37 ty::Adt(adt_def, _) if adt_def.is_struct() => println!("Our `expr` is a struct!"),
44 Similarly in [`TypeckResults`][TypeckResults] methods, you have the [`pat_ty()`][pat_ty] method
45 to retrieve a type from a pattern.
47 Two noticeable items here:
48 - `cx` is the lint context [`LateContext`][LateContext]. The two most useful
49 data structures in this context are `tcx` and the `TypeckResults` returned by
50 `LateContext::typeck_results`, allowing us to jump to type definitions and
51 other compilation stages such as HIR.
52 - `typeck_results`'s return value is [`TypeckResults`][TypeckResults] and is
53 created by type checking step, it includes useful information such as types
54 of expressions, ways to resolve methods and so on.
56 # Checking if an expr is calling a specific method
58 Starting with an `expr`, you can check whether it is calling a specific method `some_method`:
61 impl LateLintPass<'_> for MyStructLint {
62 fn check_expr(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'tcx>, expr: &'tcx hir::Expr<'_>) {
64 // Check our expr is calling a method
65 if let hir::ExprKind::MethodCall(path, _, _args, _) = &expr.kind;
66 // Check the name of this method is `some_method`
67 if path.ident.name == sym!(some_method);
76 # Checking if a type implements a specific trait
78 There are two ways to do this, depending if the target trait is part of lang items.
81 use clippy_utils::{implements_trait, match_trait_method, paths};
83 impl LateLintPass<'_> for MyStructLint {
84 fn check_expr(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'_>, expr: &Expr<'_>) {
85 // 1. Using expression and Clippy's convenient method
86 // we use `match_trait_method` function from Clippy's toolbox
87 if match_trait_method(cx, expr, &paths::INTO) {
88 // `expr` implements `Into` trait
91 // 2. Using type context `TyCtxt`
92 let ty = cx.typeck_results().expr_ty(expr);
93 if cx.tcx.lang_items()
94 // we are looking for the `DefId` of `Drop` trait in lang items
96 // then we use it with our type `ty` by calling `implements_trait` from Clippy's utils
97 .map_or(false, |id| implements_trait(cx, ty, id, &[])) {
98 // `expr` implements `Drop` trait
104 > Prefer using lang items, if the target trait is available there.
106 A list of defined paths for Clippy can be found in [paths.rs][paths]
108 We access lang items through the type context `tcx`. `tcx` is of type [`TyCtxt`][TyCtxt] and is defined in the `rustc_middle` crate.
110 # Checking if a type defines a specific method
112 To check if our type defines a method called `some_method`:
115 use clippy_utils::{is_type_diagnostic_item, return_ty};
117 impl<'tcx> LateLintPass<'tcx> for MyTypeImpl {
118 fn check_impl_item(&mut self, cx: &LateContext<'tcx>, impl_item: &'tcx ImplItem<'_>) {
120 // Check if item is a method/function
121 if let ImplItemKind::Fn(ref signature, _) = impl_item.kind;
122 // Check the method is named `some_method`
123 if impl_item.ident.name == sym!(some_method);
124 // We can also check it has a parameter `self`
125 if signature.decl.implicit_self.has_implicit_self();
126 // We can go further and even check if its return type is `String`
127 if is_type_diagnostic_item(cx, return_ty(cx, impl_item.hir_id), sym!(string_type));
136 # Dealing with macros
138 There are several helpers in [`clippy_utils`][utils] to deal with macros:
140 - `in_macro()`: detect if the given span is expanded by a macro
142 You may want to use this for example to not start linting in any macro.
148 "bar" => println!("whatever"),
156 // if we lint the `match` of `foo` call and test its span
157 assert_eq!(in_macro(match_span), true);
160 - `in_external_macro()`: detect if the given span is from an external macro, defined in a foreign crate
162 You may want to use it for example to not start linting in macros from other crates
166 extern crate a_crate_with_macros;
168 // `foo` is defined in `a_crate_with_macros`
171 // if we lint the `match` of `foo` call and test its span
172 assert_eq!(in_external_macro(cx.sess(), match_span), true);
175 - `differing_macro_contexts()`: returns true if the two given spans are not from the same context
179 ($a:expr, $b:expr) => {
186 let x: Option<u32> = Some(42);
189 // These spans are not from the same context
190 // x.is_some() is from inside the macro
191 // x.unwrap() is from outside the macro
192 assert_eq!(differing_macro_contexts(x_is_some_span, x_unwrap_span), true);
195 [TyS]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/struct.TyS.html
196 [TyKind]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/enum.TyKind.html
197 [TypeckResults]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/struct.TypeckResults.html
198 [expr_ty]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/struct.TypeckResults.html#method.expr_ty
199 [LateContext]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_lint/struct.LateContext.html
200 [TyCtxt]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/context/struct.TyCtxt.html
201 [pat_ty]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/nightly/nightly-rustc/rustc_middle/ty/context/struct.TypeckResults.html#method.pat_ty
202 [paths]: ../clippy_utils/src/paths.rs
203 [utils]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust-clippy/blob/master/clippy_utils/src/lib.rs