Refactor underscore ban

RELEASENOTES-1.4.docu

@@ -521,4 +521,20 @@
       This fix is only enabled by default with Simics API version 7 or above.
       With version 6 or below it must be explicitly enabled by passing
       <tt>--no-compat=shared_logs_on_device</tt> to DMLC.</add-note></build-id>
+  <build-id value="next"><add-note> Added the <em>discard reference</em>
+      '<tt>_</tt>' &mdash; a non-value expression which may be used as an assign
+      target in order to explictly discard the result of an evaluated expression
+      or return value of a method call <bug number="SIMICS-21584"/>.
+      Example usage:
+      <pre>
+      _ = any_expression;
+      _ = throwing_method();
+      (_, x, _) = method_with_multiple_return_values();
+      </pre>
+      For backwards compatibility, declared variables and object members are
+      still allowed to be named '<tt>_</tt>' with Simics API version 6 or below.
+      Any such declaration will <em>shadow</em> the discard reference &mdash;
+      i.e. make it unavailable within the scope that the declaration is
+      accessible. This compatibility feature can be disabled by passing
+      <tt>--no-compat=discard_ref_shadowing</tt> to DMLC.</add-note></build-id>
 </rn>

doc/1.4/language.md

@@ -3808,6 +3808,33 @@ independent method callback(int i, void *aux) {
 }
 ```
 
+### The Discard Reference (`_`)
+```
+_
+```
+
+The discard reference *`_`* is an expression without any run-time representation
+that may be used as the target of an assignment in order to explicitly discard
+the result of an evaluated expression or return value of a method call.
+
+When the compatibility feature `discard_ref_shadowing` is enabled, `_` is not a
+keyword, but instead behaves more closely as a global identifier.
+What this means is that declared identifiers (e.g. local variables) are allowed
+to shadow it by being named `_`.
+
+Example usage:
+```
+// Evaluate an expression and explicitly discard its result.
+// Can be relevant to e.g. suppress Coverity's CHECKED_RETURN checker
+_ = nonthrowing_single_return_method();
+
+// Calls to methods that throw or have multiple return values require a target
+// for each return value. `_` can be used to discard return values not of
+// interest.
+_ = throwing_method();
+(_, x, _) = method_with_multiple_return_values();
+```
+
 ### New Expressions
 
 <pre>

grammar_to_md.py

@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@
               'BCONST'         : '<i>binary-literal</i>',
               'FCONST'         : '<i>float-literal</i>',
               'ELLIPSIS'       : '<i>"..."</i>',
-              '<empty>'        : '&lt;empty&gt;'
+              '<empty>'        : '&lt;empty&gt;',
+              '_'              : '<b>_</b>'
              }
 
 for k in (reserved_idents

lib/1.2/dml-builtins.dml

@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ template device {
     parameter _compat_port_obj_param auto;
     parameter _compat_io_memory auto;
     parameter _compat_shared_logs_on_device auto;
+    parameter _compat_discard_ref_shadowing auto;
     parameter _compat_dml12_inline auto;
     parameter _compat_dml12_not auto;
     parameter _compat_dml12_goto auto;

lib/1.4/dml-builtins.dml

@@ -545,6 +545,7 @@ template device {
     param _compat_port_obj_param auto;
     param _compat_io_memory auto;
     param _compat_shared_logs_on_device auto;
+    param _compat_discard_ref_shadowing auto;
     param _compat_dml12_inline auto;
     param _compat_dml12_not auto;
     param _compat_dml12_goto auto;
@@ -1848,7 +1849,7 @@ template bank is (object, shown_desc) {
     }
 
     shared method _num_registers() -> (uint32) {
-        local (const register *_, uint64 table_size) = _reginfo_table();
+        local (const register *_table, uint64 table_size) = _reginfo_table();
         return table_size;
     }
 

py/dml/c_backend.py

@@ -1837,7 +1837,7 @@ def generate_init_data_objs(device):
     start_function_definition(
         'void _init_data_objs(%s *_dev)' % (crep.structtype(device),))
     out('{\n', postindent = 1)
-    with crep.DeviceInstanceContext():
+    with crep.DeviceInstanceContext(), allow_linemarks():
         for node in device.initdata:
             # Usually, the initializer is constant, but we permit that it
             # depends on index. When the initializer is constant, we use a loop
@@ -1859,37 +1859,39 @@ def generate_init_data_objs(device):
             # mainly meant to capture EIDXVAR; for other errors, the error will
             # normally re-appear when evaluating per instance
             except DMLError:
-                with allow_linemarks():
-                    for indices in node.all_indices():
-                        index_exprs = tuple(mkIntegerLiteral(node.site, i)
-                                            for i in indices)
-                        nref = mkNodeRef(node.site, node, index_exprs)
-                        try:
-                            init = eval_initializer(
-                                node.site, node._type, node.astinit,
-                                Location(node.parent, index_exprs),
-                                global_scope, True)
-                        except DMLError as e:
-                            report(e)
-                        else:
-                            markers = ([('store_writes_const_field', 'FALSE')]
-                                       if deep_const(node._type) else [])
-                            coverity_markers(markers, init.site)
-                            init.assign_to(nref, node._type)
+                for indices in node.all_indices():
+                    index_exprs = tuple(mkIntegerLiteral(node.site, i)
+                                        for i in indices)
+                    nref = mkNodeRef(node.site, node, index_exprs)
+                    try:
+                        init = eval_initializer(
+                            node.site, node._type, node.astinit,
+                            Location(node.parent, index_exprs),
+                            global_scope, True)
+                    except DMLError as e:
+                        report(e)
+                    else:
+                        markers = ([('store_writes_const_field', 'FALSE')]
+                                   if deep_const(node._type) else [])
+                        coverity_markers(markers, init.site)
+                        out(init.assign_to(nref.read(), node._type) + ';\n')
             else:
                 index_exprs = ()
+                if node.dimensions:
+                    reset_line_directive()
                 for (i, sz) in enumerate(node.dimsizes):
                     var = 'i%d' % (i,)
                     out(('for (int %s = 0; %s < %s; ++%s) {\n'
                          % (var, var, sz, var)),
                         postindent=1)
                     index_exprs += (mkLit(node.site, var, TInt(64, True)),)
                 nref = mkNodeRef(node.site, node, index_exprs)
-                with allow_linemarks():
-                    markers = ([('store_writes_const_field', 'FALSE')]
-                               if deep_const(node._type) else [])
-                    coverity_markers(markers, init.site)
-                    init.assign_to(nref, node._type)
+                markers = ([('store_writes_const_field', 'FALSE')]
+                           if deep_const(node._type) else [])
+                coverity_markers(markers, init.site)
+                out(init.assign_to(nref.read(), node._type) + ';\n')
+                if node.dimensions:
+                    reset_line_directive()
                 for _ in range(node.dimensions):
                     out('}\n', postindent=-1)
     out('}\n\n', preindent = -1)
@@ -3120,12 +3122,7 @@ def generate_startup_trait_calls(data, idxvars):
         ref = ObjTraitRef(site, node, trait, indices)
         out(f'_tref = {ref.read()};\n')
         for method in trait_methods:
-            outargs = [mkLit(method.site,
-                             ('*((%s) {0})'
-                              % ((TArray(t, mkIntegerLiteral(method.site, 1))
-                                  .declaration('')),)),
-                             t)
-                       for (_, t) in method.outp]
+            outargs = [mkDiscardRef(method.site) for _ in method.outp]
 
             method_ref = TraitMethodDirect(
                 method.site, mkLit(method.site, '_tref', TTrait(trait)), method)
@@ -3137,12 +3134,7 @@ def generate_startup_trait_calls(data, idxvars):
 def generate_startup_regular_call(method, idxvars):
     site = method.site
     indices = tuple(mkLit(site, idx, TInt(32, False)) for idx in idxvars)
-    outargs = [mkLit(site,
-                     ('*((%s) {0})'
-                      % ((TArray(t, mkIntegerLiteral(site, 1))
-                          .declaration('')),)),
-                     t)
-               for (_, t) in method.outp]
+    outargs = [mkDiscardRef(method.site) for _ in method.outp]
     # startup memoized methods can throw, which is ignored during startup.
     # Memoization of the throw then allows for the user to check whether
     # or not the method did throw during startup by calling the method