Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
[docs] [C++20] [Modules] Add a workaround document for missing vtables
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
Due to llvm#75912 is reverted and
llvm#70585 is reopened. It looks
riskful to fix the issue correctly before 19. So we provide a workaround
here to help people in this trouble as much as possible.
  • Loading branch information
ChuanqiXu9 authored and aaryanshukla committed Jul 14, 2024
1 parent 5d80f9a commit ba9c3f0
Showing 1 changed file with 68 additions and 0 deletions.
68 changes: 68 additions & 0 deletions clang/docs/StandardCPlusPlusModules.rst
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -1092,6 +1092,74 @@ A high-level overview of support for standards features, including modules, can
be found on the `C++ Feature Status <https://clang.llvm.org/cxx_status.html>`_
page.

Missing VTables for classes attached to modules
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now the compiler may miss emitting the definition of vtables
for classes attached to modules, if the definition of the class
doesn't contain any key function in that module units
(The key function is the first non-pure virtual function that is
not inline at the point of class definition.)

(Note: technically, the key function is not a thing for modules.
We use the concept here for convinient.)

For example,

.. code-block:: c++

// layer1.cppm
export module foo:layer1;
struct Fruit {
virtual ~Fruit() = default;
virtual void eval() = 0;
};
struct Banana : public Fruit {
Banana() {}
void eval() override;
};

// layer2.cppm
export module foo:layer2;
import :layer1;
export void layer2_fun() {
Banana *b = new Banana();
b->eval();
}
void Banana::eval() {
}
For the above example, we can't find the definition for the vtable of
class ``Banana`` in any object files.

The expected behavior is, for dynamic classes attached to named modules,
the vtable should always be emitted to the module units the class attaches
to.

To workaround the problem, users can add the key function manually in the
corresponding module units. e.g.,

.. code-block:: c++

// layer1.cppm
export module foo:layer1;
struct Fruit {
virtual ~Fruit() = default;
virtual void eval() = 0;
};
struct Banana : public Fruit {
// Hack a key function to hint the compiler to emit the virtual table.
virtual void anchor();

Banana() {}
void eval() override;
};

void Banana::anchor() {}

This is tracked by
`#70585 <https://github.com/llvm/llvm-project/issues/70585>`_.

Including headers after import is not well-supported
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Expand Down

0 comments on commit ba9c3f0

Please sign in to comment.