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//! Manually manage memory through raw pointers.
//!
//! *[See also the pointer primitive types](pointer).*
//!
//! # Safety
//!
//! Many functions in this module take raw pointers as arguments and read from or write to them. For
//! this to be safe, these pointers must be *valid* for the given access. Whether a pointer is valid
//! depends on the operation it is used for (read or write), and the extent of the memory that is
//! accessed (i.e., how many bytes are read/written) -- it makes no sense to ask "is this pointer
//! valid"; one has to ask "is this pointer valid for a given access". Most functions use `*mut T`
//! and `*const T` to access only a single value, in which case the documentation omits the size and
//! implicitly assumes it to be `size_of::<T>()` bytes.
//!
//! The precise rules for validity are not determined yet. The guarantees that are
//! provided at this point are very minimal:
//!
//! * For operations of [size zero][zst], *every* pointer is valid, including the [null] pointer.
//! The following points are only concerned with non-zero-sized accesses.
//! * A [null] pointer is *never* valid.
//! * For a pointer to be valid, it is necessary, but not always sufficient, that the pointer
//! be *dereferenceable*: the memory range of the given size starting at the pointer must all be
//! within the bounds of a single allocated object. Note that in Rust,
//! every (stack-allocated) variable is considered a separate allocated object.
//! * All accesses performed by functions in this module are *non-atomic* in the sense
//! of [atomic operations] used to synchronize between threads. This means it is
//! undefined behavior to perform two concurrent accesses to the same location from different
//! threads unless both accesses only read from memory. Notice that this explicitly
//! includes [`read_volatile`] and [`write_volatile`]: Volatile accesses cannot
//! be used for inter-thread synchronization.
//! * The result of casting a reference to a pointer is valid for as long as the
//! underlying object is live and no reference (just raw pointers) is used to
//! access the same memory. That is, reference and pointer accesses cannot be
//! interleaved.
//!
//! These axioms, along with careful use of [`offset`] for pointer arithmetic,
//! are enough to correctly implement many useful things in unsafe code. Stronger guarantees
//! will be provided eventually, as the [aliasing] rules are being determined. For more
//! information, see the [book] as well as the section in the reference devoted
//! to [undefined behavior][ub].
//!
//! We say that a pointer is "dangling" if it is not valid for any non-zero-sized accesses. This
//! means out-of-bounds pointers, pointers to freed memory, null pointers, and pointers created with
//! [`NonNull::dangling`] are all dangling.
//!
//! ## Alignment
//!
//! Valid raw pointers as defined above are not necessarily properly aligned (where
//! "proper" alignment is defined by the pointee type, i.e., `*const T` must be
//! aligned to `mem::align_of::<T>()`). However, most functions require their
//! arguments to be properly aligned, and will explicitly state
//! this requirement in their documentation. Notable exceptions to this are
//! [`read_unaligned`] and [`write_unaligned`].
//!
//! When a function requires proper alignment, it does so even if the access
//! has size 0, i.e., even if memory is not actually touched. Consider using
//! [`NonNull::dangling`] in such cases.
//!
//! ## Pointer to reference conversion
//!
//! When converting a pointer to a reference (e.g. via `&*ptr` or `&mut *ptr`),
//! there are several rules that must be followed:
//!
//! * The pointer must be properly aligned.
//!
//! * It must be non-null.
//!
//! * It must be "dereferenceable" in the sense defined above.
//!
//! * The pointer must point to a [valid value] of type `T`.
//!
//! * You must enforce Rust's aliasing rules. The exact aliasing rules are not decided yet, so we
//! only give a rough overview here. The rules also depend on whether a mutable or a shared
//! reference is being created.
//! * When creating a mutable reference, then while this reference exists, the memory it points to
//! must not get accessed (read or written) through any other pointer or reference not derived
//! from this reference.
//! * When creating a shared reference, then while this reference exists, the memory it points to
//! must not get mutated (except inside `UnsafeCell`).
//!
//! If a pointer follows all of these rules, it is said to be
//! *convertible to a (mutable or shared) reference*.
// ^ we use this term instead of saying that the produced reference must
// be valid, as the validity of a reference is easily confused for the
// validity of the thing it refers to, and while the two concepts are
// closly related, they are not identical.
//!
//! These rules apply even if the result is unused!
//! (The part about being initialized is not yet fully decided, but until
//! it is, the only safe approach is to ensure that they are indeed initialized.)
//!
//! An example of the implications of the above rules is that an expression such
//! as `unsafe { &*(0 as *const u8) }` is Immediate Undefined Behavior.
//!
//! [valid value]: ../../reference/behavior-considered-undefined.html#invalid-values
//!
//! ## Allocated object
//!
//! An *allocated object* is a subset of program memory which is addressable
//! from Rust, and within which pointer arithmetic is possible. Examples of
//! allocated objects include heap allocations, stack-allocated variables,
//! statics, and consts. The safety preconditions of some Rust operations -
//! such as `offset` and field projections (`expr.field`) - are defined in
//! terms of the allocated objects on which they operate.
//!
//! An allocated object has a base address, a size, and a set of memory
//! addresses. It is possible for an allocated object to have zero size, but
//! such an allocated object will still have a base address. The base address
//! of an allocated object is not necessarily unique. While it is currently the
//! case that an allocated object always has a set of memory addresses which is
//! fully contiguous (i.e., has no "holes"), there is no guarantee that this
//! will not change in the future.
//!
//! For any allocated object with `base` address, `size`, and a set of
//! `addresses`, the following are guaranteed:
//! - For all addresses `a` in `addresses`, `a` is in the range `base .. (base +
//! size)` (note that this requires `a < base + size`, not `a <= base + size`)
//! - `base` is not equal to [`null()`] (i.e., the address with the numerical
//! value 0)
//! - `base + size <= usize::MAX`
//! - `size <= isize::MAX`
//!
//! As a consequence of these guarantees, given any address `a` within the set
//! of addresses of an allocated object:
//! - It is guaranteed that `a - base` does not overflow `isize`
//! - It is guaranteed that `a - base` is non-negative
//! - It is guaranteed that, given `o = a - base` (i.e., the offset of `a` within
//! the allocated object), `base + o` will not wrap around the address space (in
//! other words, will not overflow `usize`)
//!
//! [`null()`]: null
//!
//! # Strict Provenance
//!
//! **The following text is non-normative, insufficiently formal, and is an extremely strict
//! interpretation of provenance. It's ok if your code doesn't strictly conform to it.**
//!
//! [Strict Provenance][] is an experimental set of APIs that help tools that try
//! to validate the memory-safety of your program's execution. Notably this includes [Miri][]
//! and [CHERI][], which can detect when you access out of bounds memory or otherwise violate
//! Rust's memory model.
//!
//! Provenance must exist in some form for any programming
//! language compiled for modern computer architectures, but specifying a model for provenance
//! in a way that is useful to both compilers and programmers is an ongoing challenge.
//! The [Strict Provenance][] experiment seeks to explore the question: *what if we just said you
//! couldn't do all the nasty operations that make provenance so messy?*
//!
//! What APIs would have to be removed? What APIs would have to be added? How much would code
//! have to change, and is it worse or better now? Would any patterns become truly inexpressible?
//! Could we carve out special exceptions for those patterns? Should we?
//!
//! A secondary goal of this project is to see if we can disambiguate the many functions of
//! pointer<->integer casts enough for the definition of `usize` to be loosened so that it
//! isn't *pointer*-sized but address-space/offset/allocation-sized (we'll probably continue
//! to conflate these notions). This would potentially make it possible to more efficiently
//! target platforms where pointers are larger than offsets, such as CHERI and maybe some
//! segmented architectures.
//!
//! ## Provenance
//!
//! **This section is *non-normative* and is part of the [Strict Provenance][] experiment.**
//!
//! Pointers are not *simply* an "integer" or "address". For instance, it's uncontroversial
//! to say that a Use After Free is clearly Undefined Behaviour, even if you "get lucky"
//! and the freed memory gets reallocated before your read/write (in fact this is the
//! worst-case scenario, UAFs would be much less concerning if this didn't happen!).
//! To rationalize this claim, pointers need to somehow be *more* than just their addresses:
//! they must have provenance.
//!
//! When an allocation is created, that allocation has a unique Original Pointer. For alloc
//! APIs this is literally the pointer the call returns, and for local variables and statics,
//! this is the name of the variable/static. This is mildly overloading the term "pointer"
//! for the sake of brevity/exposition.
//!
//! The Original Pointer for an allocation is guaranteed to have unique access to the entire
//! allocation and *only* that allocation. In this sense, an allocation can be thought of
//! as a "sandbox" that cannot be broken into or out of. *Provenance* is the permission
//! to access an allocation's sandbox and has both a *spatial* and *temporal* component:
//!
//! * Spatial: A range of bytes that the pointer is allowed to access.
//! * Temporal: The lifetime (of the allocation) that access to these bytes is tied to.
//!
//! Spatial provenance makes sure you don't go beyond your sandbox, while temporal provenance
//! makes sure that you can't "get lucky" after your permission to access some memory
//! has been revoked (either through deallocations or borrows expiring).
//!
//! Provenance is implicitly shared with all pointers transitively derived from
//! The Original Pointer through operations like [`offset`], borrowing, and pointer casts.
//! Some operations may *shrink* the derived provenance, limiting how much memory it can
//! access or how long it's valid for (i.e. borrowing a subfield and subslicing).
//!
//! Shrinking provenance cannot be undone: even if you "know" there is a larger allocation, you
//! can't derive a pointer with a larger provenance. Similarly, you cannot "recombine"
//! two contiguous provenances back into one (i.e. with a `fn merge(&[T], &[T]) -> &[T]`).
//!
//! A reference to a value always has provenance over exactly the memory that field occupies.
//! A reference to a slice always has provenance over exactly the range that slice describes.
//!
//! If an allocation is deallocated, all pointers with provenance to that allocation become
//! invalidated, and effectively lose their provenance.
//!
//! The strict provenance experiment is mostly only interested in exploring stricter *spatial*
//! provenance. In this sense it can be thought of as a subset of the more ambitious and
//! formal [Stacked Borrows][] research project, which is what tools like [Miri][] are based on.
//! In particular, Stacked Borrows is necessary to properly describe what borrows are allowed
//! to do and when they become invalidated. This necessarily involves much more complex
//! *temporal* reasoning than simply identifying allocations. Adjusting APIs and code
//! for the strict provenance experiment will also greatly help Stacked Borrows.
//!
//!
//! ## Pointer Vs Addresses
//!
//! **This section is *non-normative* and is part of the [Strict Provenance][] experiment.**
//!
//! One of the largest historical issues with trying to define provenance is that programmers
//! freely convert between pointers and integers. Once you allow for this, it generally becomes
//! impossible to accurately track and preserve provenance information, and you need to appeal
//! to very complex and unreliable heuristics. But of course, converting between pointers and
//! integers is very useful, so what can we do?
//!
//! Also did you know WASM is actually a "Harvard Architecture"? As in function pointers are
//! handled completely differently from data pointers? And we kind of just shipped Rust on WASM
//! without really addressing the fact that we let you freely convert between function pointers
//! and data pointers, because it mostly Just Works? Let's just put that on the "pointer casts
//! are dubious" pile.
//!
//! Strict Provenance attempts to square these circles by decoupling Rust's traditional conflation
//! of pointers and `usize` (and `isize`), and defining a pointer to semantically contain the
//! following information:
//!
//! * The **address-space** it is part of (e.g. "data" vs "code" in WASM).
//! * The **address** it points to, which can be represented by a `usize`.
//! * The **provenance** it has, defining the memory it has permission to access.
//! Provenance can be absent, in which case the pointer does not have permission to access any memory.
//!
//! Under Strict Provenance, a `usize` *cannot* accurately represent a pointer, and converting from
//! a pointer to a `usize` is generally an operation which *only* extracts the address. It is
//! therefore *impossible* to construct a valid pointer from a `usize` because there is no way
//! to restore the address-space and provenance. In other words, pointer-integer-pointer
//! roundtrips are not possible (in the sense that the resulting pointer is not dereferenceable).
//!
//! The key insight to making this model *at all* viable is the [`with_addr`][] method:
//!
//! ```text
//! /// Creates a new pointer with the given address.
//! ///
//! /// This performs the same operation as an `addr as ptr` cast, but copies
//! /// the *address-space* and *provenance* of `self` to the new pointer.
//! /// This allows us to dynamically preserve and propagate this important
//! /// information in a way that is otherwise impossible with a unary cast.
//! ///
//! /// This is equivalent to using `wrapping_offset` to offset `self` to the
//! /// given address, and therefore has all the same capabilities and restrictions.
//! pub fn with_addr(self, addr: usize) -> Self;
//! ```
//!
//! So you're still able to drop down to the address representation and do whatever
//! clever bit tricks you want *as long as* you're able to keep around a pointer
//! into the allocation you care about that can "reconstitute" the other parts of the pointer.
//! Usually this is very easy, because you only are taking a pointer, messing with the address,
//! and then immediately converting back to a pointer. To make this use case more ergonomic,
//! we provide the [`map_addr`][] method.
//!
//! To help make it clear that code is "following" Strict Provenance semantics, we also provide an
//! [`addr`][] method which promises that the returned address is not part of a
//! pointer-usize-pointer roundtrip. In the future we may provide a lint for pointer<->integer
//! casts to help you audit if your code conforms to strict provenance.
//!
//!
//! ## Using Strict Provenance
//!
//! Most code needs no changes to conform to strict provenance, as the only really concerning
//! operation that *wasn't* obviously already Undefined Behaviour is casts from usize to a
//! pointer. For code which *does* cast a `usize` to a pointer, the scope of the change depends
//! on exactly what you're doing.
//!
//! In general, you just need to make sure that if you want to convert a `usize` address to a
//! pointer and then use that pointer to read/write memory, you need to keep around a pointer
//! that has sufficient provenance to perform that read/write itself. In this way all of your
//! casts from an address to a pointer are essentially just applying offsets/indexing.
//!
//! This is generally trivial to do for simple cases like tagged pointers *as long as you
//! represent the tagged pointer as an actual pointer and not a `usize`*. For instance:
//!
//! ```
//! #![feature(strict_provenance)]
//!
//! unsafe {
//! // A flag we want to pack into our pointer
//! static HAS_DATA: usize = 0x1;
//! static FLAG_MASK: usize = !HAS_DATA;
//!
//! // Our value, which must have enough alignment to have spare least-significant-bits.
//! let my_precious_data: u32 = 17;
//! assert!(core::mem::align_of::<u32>() > 1);
//!
//! // Create a tagged pointer
//! let ptr = &my_precious_data as *const u32;
//! let tagged = ptr.map_addr(|addr| addr | HAS_DATA);
//!
//! // Check the flag:
//! if tagged.addr() & HAS_DATA != 0 {
//! // Untag and read the pointer
//! let data = *tagged.map_addr(|addr| addr & FLAG_MASK);
//! assert_eq!(data, 17);
//! } else {
//! unreachable!()
//! }
//! }
//! ```
//!
//! (Yes, if you've been using AtomicUsize for pointers in concurrent datastructures, you should
//! be using AtomicPtr instead. If that messes up the way you atomically manipulate pointers,
//! we would like to know why, and what needs to be done to fix it.)
//!
//! Something more complicated and just generally *evil* like an XOR-List requires more significant
//! changes like allocating all nodes in a pre-allocated Vec or Arena and using a pointer
//! to the whole allocation to reconstitute the XORed addresses.
//!
//! Situations where a valid pointer *must* be created from just an address, such as baremetal code
//! accessing a memory-mapped interface at a fixed address, are an open question on how to support.
//! These situations *will* still be allowed, but we might require some kind of "I know what I'm
//! doing" annotation to explain the situation to the compiler. It's also possible they need no
//! special attention at all, because they're generally accessing memory outside the scope of
//! "the abstract machine", or already using "I know what I'm doing" annotations like "volatile".
//!
//! Under [Strict Provenance] it is Undefined Behaviour to:
//!
//! * Access memory through a pointer that does not have provenance over that memory.
//!
//! * [`offset`] a pointer to or from an address it doesn't have provenance over.
//! This means it's always UB to offset a pointer derived from something deallocated,
//! even if the offset is 0. Note that a pointer "one past the end" of its provenance
//! is not actually outside its provenance, it just has 0 bytes it can load/store.
//!
//! But it *is* still sound to:
//!
//! * Create a pointer without provenance from just an address (see [`ptr::dangling`][]). Such a
//! pointer cannot be used for memory accesses (except for zero-sized accesses). This can still be
//! useful for sentinel values like `null` *or* to represent a tagged pointer that will never be
//! dereferenceable. In general, it is always sound for an integer to pretend to be a pointer "for
//! fun" as long as you don't use operations on it which require it to be valid (non-zero-sized
//! offset, read, write, etc).
//!
//! * Forge an allocation of size zero at any sufficiently aligned non-null address.
//! i.e. the usual "ZSTs are fake, do what you want" rules apply *but* this only applies
//! for actual forgery (integers cast to pointers). If you borrow some struct's field
//! that *happens* to be zero-sized, the resulting pointer will have provenance tied to
//! that allocation, and it will still get invalidated if the allocation gets deallocated.
//! In the future we may introduce an API to make such a forged allocation explicit.
//!
//! * [`wrapping_offset`][] a pointer outside its provenance. This includes pointers
//! which have "no" provenance. Unfortunately there may be practical limits on this for a
//! particular platform, and it's an open question as to how to specify this (if at all).
//! Notably, [CHERI][] relies on a compression scheme that can't handle a
//! pointer getting offset "too far" out of bounds. If this happens, the address
//! returned by `addr` will be the value you expect, but the provenance will get invalidated
//! and using it to read/write will fault. The details of this are architecture-specific
//! and based on alignment, but the buffer on either side of the pointer's range is pretty
//! generous (think kilobytes, not bytes).
//!
//! * Compare arbitrary pointers by address. Addresses *are* just integers and so there is
//! always a coherent answer, even if the pointers are dangling or from different
//! address-spaces/provenances. Of course, comparing addresses from different address-spaces
//! is generally going to be *meaningless*, but so is comparing Kilograms to Meters, and Rust
//! doesn't prevent that either. Similarly, if you get "lucky" and notice that a pointer
//! one-past-the-end is the "same" address as the start of an unrelated allocation, anything
//! you do with that fact is *probably* going to be gibberish. The scope of that gibberish
//! is kept under control by the fact that the two pointers *still* aren't allowed to access
//! the other's allocation (bytes), because they still have different provenance.
//!
//! * Perform pointer tagging tricks. This falls out of [`wrapping_offset`] but is worth
//! mentioning in more detail because of the limitations of [CHERI][]. Low-bit tagging
//! is very robust, and often doesn't even go out of bounds because types ensure
//! size >= align (and over-aligning actually gives CHERI more flexibility). Anything
//! more complex than this rapidly enters "extremely platform-specific" territory as
//! certain things may or may not be allowed based on specific supported operations.
//! For instance, ARM explicitly supports high-bit tagging, and so CHERI on ARM inherits
//! that and should support it.
//!
//! ## Exposed Provenance
//!
//! **This section is *non-normative* and is an extension to the [Strict Provenance] experiment.**
//!
//! As discussed above, pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips are not possible under [Strict Provenance].
//! This is by design: the goal of Strict Provenance is to provide a clear specification that we are
//! confident can be formalized unambiguously and can be subject to precise formal reasoning.
//!
//! However, there exist situations where pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips cannot be avoided, or
//! where avoiding them would require major refactoring. Legacy platform APIs also regularly assume
//! that `usize` can capture all the information that makes up a pointer. The goal of Strict
//! Provenance is not to rule out such code; the goal is to put all the *other* pointer-manipulating
//! code onto a more solid foundation. Strict Provenance is about improving the situation where
//! possible (all the code that can be written with Strict Provenance) without making things worse
//! for situations where Strict Provenance is insufficient.
//!
//! For these situations, there is a highly experimental extension to Strict Provenance called
//! *Exposed Provenance*. This extension permits pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips. However, its
//! semantics are on much less solid footing than Strict Provenance, and at this point it is not yet
//! clear where a satisfying unambiguous semantics can be defined for Exposed Provenance.
//! Furthermore, Exposed Provenance will not work (well) with tools like [Miri] and [CHERI].
//!
//! Exposed Provenance is provided by the [`expose_provenance`] and [`with_exposed_provenance`] methods,
//! which are meant to replace `as` casts between pointers and integers. [`expose_provenance`] is a lot like
//! [`addr`], but additionally adds the provenance of the pointer to a global list of 'exposed'
//! provenances. (This list is purely conceptual, it exists for the purpose of specifying Rust but
//! is not materialized in actual executions, except in tools like [Miri].) [`with_exposed_provenance`]
//! can be used to construct a pointer with one of these previously 'exposed' provenances.
//! [`with_exposed_provenance`] takes only `addr: usize` as arguments, so unlike in [`with_addr`] there is
//! no indication of what the correct provenance for the returned pointer is -- and that is exactly
//! what makes pointer-usize-pointer roundtrips so tricky to rigorously specify! There is no
//! algorithm that decides which provenance will be used. You can think of this as "guessing" the
//! right provenance, and the guess will be "maximally in your favor", in the sense that if there is
//! any way to avoid undefined behavior, then that is the guess that will be taken. However, if
//! there is *no* previously 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way the returned pointer will
//! be used, the program has undefined behavior.
//!
//! Using [`expose_provenance`] or [`with_exposed_provenance`] (or the `as` casts) means that code is
//! *not* following Strict Provenance rules. The goal of the Strict Provenance experiment is to
//! determine how far one can get in Rust without the use of [`expose_provenance`] and
//! [`with_exposed_provenance`], and to encourage code to be written with Strict Provenance APIs only.
//! Maximizing the amount of such code is a major win for avoiding specification complexity and to
//! facilitate adoption of tools like [CHERI] and [Miri] that can be a big help in increasing the
//! confidence in (unsafe) Rust code.
//!
//! [aliasing]: ../../nomicon/aliasing.html
//! [book]: ../../book/ch19-01-unsafe-rust.html#dereferencing-a-raw-pointer
//! [ub]: ../../reference/behavior-considered-undefined.html
//! [zst]: ../../nomicon/exotic-sizes.html#zero-sized-types-zsts
//! [atomic operations]: crate::sync::atomic
//! [`offset`]: pointer::offset
//! [`wrapping_offset`]: pointer::wrapping_offset
//! [`with_addr`]: pointer::with_addr
//! [`map_addr`]: pointer::map_addr
//! [`addr`]: pointer::addr
//! [`ptr::dangling`]: core::ptr::dangling
//! [`expose_provenance`]: pointer::expose_provenance
//! [`with_exposed_provenance`]: with_exposed_provenance
//! [Miri]: https://github.com/rust-lang/miri
//! [CHERI]: https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/security/ctsrd/cheri/
//! [Strict Provenance]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/95228
//! [Stacked Borrows]: https://plv.mpi-sws.org/rustbelt/stacked-borrows/
#![stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
// There are many unsafe functions taking pointers that don't dereference them.
#![allow(clippy::not_unsafe_ptr_arg_deref)]
use crate::cmp::Ordering;
use crate::marker::FnPtr;
use crate::mem::{self, MaybeUninit};
use crate::{fmt, hash, intrinsics, ub_checks};
mod alignment;
#[unstable(feature = "ptr_alignment_type", issue = "102070")]
pub use alignment::Alignment;
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
#[doc(inline)]
pub use crate::intrinsics::copy;
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
#[doc(inline)]
pub use crate::intrinsics::copy_nonoverlapping;
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
#[doc(inline)]
pub use crate::intrinsics::write_bytes;
mod metadata;
#[unstable(feature = "ptr_metadata", issue = "81513")]
pub use metadata::{DynMetadata, Pointee, Thin, from_raw_parts, from_raw_parts_mut, metadata};
mod non_null;
#[stable(feature = "nonnull", since = "1.25.0")]
pub use non_null::NonNull;
mod unique;
#[unstable(feature = "ptr_internals", issue = "none")]
pub use unique::Unique;
mod const_ptr;
mod mut_ptr;
/// Executes the destructor (if any) of the pointed-to value.
///
/// This is almost the same as calling [`ptr::read`] and discarding
/// the result, but has the following advantages:
// FIXME: say something more useful than "almost the same"?
// There are open questions here: `read` requires the value to be fully valid, e.g. if `T` is a
// `bool` it must be 0 or 1, if it is a reference then it must be dereferenceable. `drop_in_place`
// only requires that `*to_drop` be "valid for dropping" and we have not defined what that means. In
// Miri it currently (May 2024) requires nothing at all for types without drop glue.
///
/// * It is *required* to use `drop_in_place` to drop unsized types like
/// trait objects, because they can't be read out onto the stack and
/// dropped normally.
///
/// * It is friendlier to the optimizer to do this over [`ptr::read`] when
/// dropping manually allocated memory (e.g., in the implementations of
/// `Box`/`Rc`/`Vec`), as the compiler doesn't need to prove that it's
/// sound to elide the copy.
///
/// * It can be used to drop [pinned] data when `T` is not `repr(packed)`
/// (pinned data must not be moved before it is dropped).
///
/// Unaligned values cannot be dropped in place, they must be copied to an aligned
/// location first using [`ptr::read_unaligned`]. For packed structs, this move is
/// done automatically by the compiler. This means the fields of packed structs
/// are not dropped in-place.
///
/// [`ptr::read`]: self::read
/// [`ptr::read_unaligned`]: self::read_unaligned
/// [pinned]: crate::pin
///
/// # Safety
///
/// Behavior is undefined if any of the following conditions are violated:
///
/// * `to_drop` must be [valid] for both reads and writes.
///
/// * `to_drop` must be properly aligned, even if `T` has size 0.
///
/// * `to_drop` must be nonnull, even if `T` has size 0.
///
/// * The value `to_drop` points to must be valid for dropping, which may mean
/// it must uphold additional invariants. These invariants depend on the type
/// of the value being dropped. For instance, when dropping a Box, the box's
/// pointer to the heap must be valid.
///
/// * While `drop_in_place` is executing, the only way to access parts of
/// `to_drop` is through the `&mut self` references supplied to the
/// `Drop::drop` methods that `drop_in_place` invokes.
///
/// Additionally, if `T` is not [`Copy`], using the pointed-to value after
/// calling `drop_in_place` can cause undefined behavior. Note that `*to_drop =
/// foo` counts as a use because it will cause the value to be dropped
/// again. [`write()`] can be used to overwrite data without causing it to be
/// dropped.
///
/// [valid]: self#safety
///
/// # Examples
///
/// Manually remove the last item from a vector:
///
/// ```
/// use std::ptr;
/// use std::rc::Rc;
///
/// let last = Rc::new(1);
/// let weak = Rc::downgrade(&last);
///
/// let mut v = vec![Rc::new(0), last];
///
/// unsafe {
/// // Get a raw pointer to the last element in `v`.
/// let ptr = &mut v[1] as *mut _;
/// // Shorten `v` to prevent the last item from being dropped. We do that first,
/// // to prevent issues if the `drop_in_place` below panics.
/// v.set_len(1);
/// // Without a call `drop_in_place`, the last item would never be dropped,
/// // and the memory it manages would be leaked.
/// ptr::drop_in_place(ptr);
/// }
///
/// assert_eq!(v, &[0.into()]);
///
/// // Ensure that the last item was dropped.
/// assert!(weak.upgrade().is_none());
/// ```
#[stable(feature = "drop_in_place", since = "1.8.0")]
#[lang = "drop_in_place"]
#[allow(unconditional_recursion)]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_drop_in_place"]
pub unsafe fn drop_in_place<T: ?Sized>(to_drop: *mut T) {
// Code here does not matter - this is replaced by the
// real drop glue by the compiler.
// SAFETY: see comment above
unsafe { drop_in_place(to_drop) }
}
/// Creates a null raw pointer.
///
/// This function is equivalent to zero-initializing the pointer:
/// `MaybeUninit::<*const T>::zeroed().assume_init()`.
/// The resulting pointer has the address 0.
///
/// # Examples
///
/// ```
/// use std::ptr;
///
/// let p: *const i32 = ptr::null();
/// assert!(p.is_null());
/// assert_eq!(p as usize, 0); // this pointer has the address 0
/// ```
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
#[rustc_promotable]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "const_ptr_null", since = "1.24.0")]
#[rustc_allow_const_fn_unstable(ptr_metadata)]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_null"]
pub const fn null<T: ?Sized + Thin>() -> *const T {
from_raw_parts(without_provenance::<()>(0), ())
}
/// Creates a null mutable raw pointer.
///
/// This function is equivalent to zero-initializing the pointer:
/// `MaybeUninit::<*mut T>::zeroed().assume_init()`.
/// The resulting pointer has the address 0.
///
/// # Examples
///
/// ```
/// use std::ptr;
///
/// let p: *mut i32 = ptr::null_mut();
/// assert!(p.is_null());
/// assert_eq!(p as usize, 0); // this pointer has the address 0
/// ```
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[stable(feature = "rust1", since = "1.0.0")]
#[rustc_promotable]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "const_ptr_null", since = "1.24.0")]
#[rustc_allow_const_fn_unstable(ptr_metadata)]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_null_mut"]
pub const fn null_mut<T: ?Sized + Thin>() -> *mut T {
from_raw_parts_mut(without_provenance_mut::<()>(0), ())
}
/// Creates a pointer with the given address and no provenance.
///
/// This is equivalent to `ptr::null().with_addr(addr)`.
///
/// Without provenance, this pointer is not associated with any actual allocation. Such a
/// no-provenance pointer may be used for zero-sized memory accesses (if suitably aligned), but
/// non-zero-sized memory accesses with a no-provenance pointer are UB. No-provenance pointers are
/// little more than a `usize` address in disguise.
///
/// This is different from `addr as *const T`, which creates a pointer that picks up a previously
/// exposed provenance. See [`with_exposed_provenance`] for more details on that operation.
///
/// This API and its claimed semantics are part of the Strict Provenance experiment,
/// see the [module documentation][crate::ptr] for details.
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "stable_things_using_strict_provenance", since = "1.61.0")]
#[unstable(feature = "strict_provenance", issue = "95228")]
pub const fn without_provenance<T>(addr: usize) -> *const T {
// FIXME(strict_provenance_magic): I am magic and should be a compiler intrinsic.
// We use transmute rather than a cast so tools like Miri can tell that this
// is *not* the same as with_exposed_provenance.
// SAFETY: every valid integer is also a valid pointer (as long as you don't dereference that
// pointer).
unsafe { mem::transmute(addr) }
}
/// Creates a new pointer that is dangling, but well-aligned.
///
/// This is useful for initializing types which lazily allocate, like
/// `Vec::new` does.
///
/// Note that the pointer value may potentially represent a valid pointer to
/// a `T`, which means this must not be used as a "not yet initialized"
/// sentinel value. Types that lazily allocate must track initialization by
/// some other means.
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "stable_things_using_strict_provenance", since = "1.61.0")]
#[unstable(feature = "strict_provenance", issue = "95228")]
pub const fn dangling<T>() -> *const T {
without_provenance(mem::align_of::<T>())
}
/// Creates a pointer with the given address and no provenance.
///
/// This is equivalent to `ptr::null_mut().with_addr(addr)`.
///
/// Without provenance, this pointer is not associated with any actual allocation. Such a
/// no-provenance pointer may be used for zero-sized memory accesses (if suitably aligned), but
/// non-zero-sized memory accesses with a no-provenance pointer are UB. No-provenance pointers are
/// little more than a `usize` address in disguise.
///
/// This is different from `addr as *mut T`, which creates a pointer that picks up a previously
/// exposed provenance. See [`with_exposed_provenance_mut`] for more details on that operation.
///
/// This API and its claimed semantics are part of the Strict Provenance experiment,
/// see the [module documentation][crate::ptr] for details.
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "stable_things_using_strict_provenance", since = "1.61.0")]
#[unstable(feature = "strict_provenance", issue = "95228")]
pub const fn without_provenance_mut<T>(addr: usize) -> *mut T {
// FIXME(strict_provenance_magic): I am magic and should be a compiler intrinsic.
// We use transmute rather than a cast so tools like Miri can tell that this
// is *not* the same as with_exposed_provenance.
// SAFETY: every valid integer is also a valid pointer (as long as you don't dereference that
// pointer).
unsafe { mem::transmute(addr) }
}
/// Creates a new pointer that is dangling, but well-aligned.
///
/// This is useful for initializing types which lazily allocate, like
/// `Vec::new` does.
///
/// Note that the pointer value may potentially represent a valid pointer to
/// a `T`, which means this must not be used as a "not yet initialized"
/// sentinel value. Types that lazily allocate must track initialization by
/// some other means.
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "stable_things_using_strict_provenance", since = "1.61.0")]
#[unstable(feature = "strict_provenance", issue = "95228")]
pub const fn dangling_mut<T>() -> *mut T {
without_provenance_mut(mem::align_of::<T>())
}
/// Converts an address back to a pointer, picking up a previously 'exposed' provenance.
///
/// This is a more rigorously specified alternative to `addr as *const T`. The provenance of the
/// returned pointer is that of *any* pointer that was previously exposed by passing it to
/// [`expose_provenance`][pointer::expose_provenance], or a `ptr as usize` cast. In addition, memory which is
/// outside the control of the Rust abstract machine (MMIO registers, for example) is always
/// considered to be exposed, so long as this memory is disjoint from memory that will be used by
/// the abstract machine such as the stack, heap, and statics.
///
/// If there is no 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way this pointer will be used,
/// the program has undefined behavior. In particular, the aliasing rules still apply: pointers
/// and references that have been invalidated due to aliasing accesses cannot be used anymore,
/// even if they have been exposed!
///
/// Note that there is no algorithm that decides which provenance will be used. You can think of this
/// as "guessing" the right provenance, and the guess will be "maximally in your favor", in the sense
/// that if there is any way to avoid undefined behavior (while upholding all aliasing requirements),
/// then that is the guess that will be taken.
///
/// On platforms with multiple address spaces, it is your responsibility to ensure that the
/// address makes sense in the address space that this pointer will be used with.
///
/// Using this function means that code is *not* following [Strict
/// Provenance][self#strict-provenance] rules. "Guessing" a
/// suitable provenance complicates specification and reasoning and may not be supported by
/// tools that help you to stay conformant with the Rust memory model, so it is recommended to
/// use [`with_addr`][pointer::with_addr] wherever possible.
///
/// On most platforms this will produce a value with the same bytes as the address. Platforms
/// which need to store additional information in a pointer may not support this operation,
/// since it is generally not possible to actually *compute* which provenance the returned
/// pointer has to pick up.
///
/// It is unclear whether this function can be given a satisfying unambiguous specification. This
/// API and its claimed semantics are part of [Exposed Provenance][self#exposed-provenance].
#[must_use]
#[inline(always)]
#[unstable(feature = "exposed_provenance", issue = "95228")]
#[cfg_attr(miri, track_caller)] // even without panics, this helps for Miri backtraces
#[allow(fuzzy_provenance_casts)] // this *is* the explicit provenance API one should use instead
pub fn with_exposed_provenance<T>(addr: usize) -> *const T
where
T: Sized,
{
// FIXME(strict_provenance_magic): I am magic and should be a compiler intrinsic.
addr as *const T
}
/// Converts an address back to a mutable pointer, picking up a previously 'exposed' provenance.
///
/// This is a more rigorously specified alternative to `addr as *mut T`. The provenance of the
/// returned pointer is that of *any* pointer that was previously passed to
/// [`expose_provenance`][pointer::expose_provenance] or a `ptr as usize` cast. If there is no previously
/// 'exposed' provenance that justifies the way this pointer will be used, the program has undefined
/// behavior. Note that there is no algorithm that decides which provenance will be used. You can
/// think of this as "guessing" the right provenance, and the guess will be "maximally in your
/// favor", in the sense that if there is any way to avoid undefined behavior, then that is the
/// guess that will be taken.
///
/// On platforms with multiple address spaces, it is your responsibility to ensure that the
/// address makes sense in the address space that this pointer will be used with.
///
/// Using this function means that code is *not* following [Strict
/// Provenance][self#strict-provenance] rules. "Guessing" a
/// suitable provenance complicates specification and reasoning and may not be supported by
/// tools that help you to stay conformant with the Rust memory model, so it is recommended to
/// use [`with_addr`][pointer::with_addr] wherever possible.
///
/// On most platforms this will produce a value with the same bytes as the address. Platforms
/// which need to store additional information in a pointer may not support this operation,
/// since it is generally not possible to actually *compute* which provenance the returned
/// pointer has to pick up.
///
/// It is unclear whether this function can be given a satisfying unambiguous specification. This
/// API and its claimed semantics are part of [Exposed Provenance][self#exposed-provenance].
#[must_use]
#[inline(always)]
#[unstable(feature = "exposed_provenance", issue = "95228")]
#[cfg_attr(miri, track_caller)] // even without panics, this helps for Miri backtraces
#[allow(fuzzy_provenance_casts)] // this *is* the explicit provenance API one should use instead
pub fn with_exposed_provenance_mut<T>(addr: usize) -> *mut T
where
T: Sized,
{
// FIXME(strict_provenance_magic): I am magic and should be a compiler intrinsic.
addr as *mut T
}
/// Converts a reference to a raw pointer.
///
/// For `r: &T`, `from_ref(r)` is equivalent to `r as *const T` (except for the caveat noted below),
/// but is a bit safer since it will never silently change type or mutability, in particular if the
/// code is refactored.
///
/// The caller must ensure that the pointee outlives the pointer this function returns, or else it
/// will end up dangling.
///
/// The caller must also ensure that the memory the pointer (non-transitively) points to is never
/// written to (except inside an `UnsafeCell`) using this pointer or any pointer derived from it. If
/// you need to mutate the pointee, use [`from_mut`]. Specifically, to turn a mutable reference `m:
/// &mut T` into `*const T`, prefer `from_mut(m).cast_const()` to obtain a pointer that can later be
/// used for mutation.
///
/// ## Interaction with lifetime extension
///
/// Note that this has subtle interactions with the rules for lifetime extension of temporaries in
/// tail expressions. This code is valid, albeit in a non-obvious way:
/// ```rust
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// // The temporary holding the return value of `foo` has its lifetime extended,
/// // because the surrounding expression involves no function call.
/// let p = &foo() as *const T;
/// unsafe { p.read() };
/// ```
/// Naively replacing the cast with `from_ref` is not valid:
/// ```rust,no_run
/// # use std::ptr;
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// // The temporary holding the return value of `foo` does *not* have its lifetime extended,
/// // because the surrounding expression involves no function call.
/// let p = ptr::from_ref(&foo());
/// unsafe { p.read() }; // UB! Reading from a dangling pointer ⚠️
/// ```
/// The recommended way to write this code is to avoid relying on lifetime extension
/// when raw pointers are involved:
/// ```rust
/// # use std::ptr;
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// let x = foo();
/// let p = ptr::from_ref(&x);
/// unsafe { p.read() };
/// ```
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[stable(feature = "ptr_from_ref", since = "1.76.0")]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "ptr_from_ref", since = "1.76.0")]
#[rustc_never_returns_null_ptr]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_from_ref"]
pub const fn from_ref<T: ?Sized>(r: &T) -> *const T {
r
}
/// Converts a mutable reference to a raw pointer.
///
/// For `r: &mut T`, `from_mut(r)` is equivalent to `r as *mut T` (except for the caveat noted
/// below), but is a bit safer since it will never silently change type or mutability, in particular
/// if the code is refactored.
///
/// The caller must ensure that the pointee outlives the pointer this function returns, or else it
/// will end up dangling.
///
/// ## Interaction with lifetime extension
///
/// Note that this has subtle interactions with the rules for lifetime extension of temporaries in
/// tail expressions. This code is valid, albeit in a non-obvious way:
/// ```rust
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// // The temporary holding the return value of `foo` has its lifetime extended,
/// // because the surrounding expression involves no function call.
/// let p = &mut foo() as *mut T;
/// unsafe { p.write(T::default()) };
/// ```
/// Naively replacing the cast with `from_mut` is not valid:
/// ```rust,no_run
/// # use std::ptr;
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// // The temporary holding the return value of `foo` does *not* have its lifetime extended,
/// // because the surrounding expression involves no function call.
/// let p = ptr::from_mut(&mut foo());
/// unsafe { p.write(T::default()) }; // UB! Writing to a dangling pointer ⚠️
/// ```
/// The recommended way to write this code is to avoid relying on lifetime extension
/// when raw pointers are involved:
/// ```rust
/// # use std::ptr;
/// # type T = i32;
/// # fn foo() -> T { 42 }
/// let mut x = foo();
/// let p = ptr::from_mut(&mut x);
/// unsafe { p.write(T::default()) };
/// ```
#[inline(always)]
#[must_use]
#[stable(feature = "ptr_from_ref", since = "1.76.0")]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "ptr_from_ref", since = "1.76.0")]
#[rustc_allow_const_fn_unstable(const_mut_refs)]
#[rustc_never_returns_null_ptr]
pub const fn from_mut<T: ?Sized>(r: &mut T) -> *mut T {
r
}
/// Forms a raw slice from a pointer and a length.
///
/// The `len` argument is the number of **elements**, not the number of bytes.
///
/// This function is safe, but actually using the return value is unsafe.
/// See the documentation of [`slice::from_raw_parts`] for slice safety requirements.
///
/// [`slice::from_raw_parts`]: crate::slice::from_raw_parts
///
/// # Examples
///
/// ```rust
/// use std::ptr;
///
/// // create a slice pointer when starting out with a pointer to the first element
/// let x = [5, 6, 7];
/// let raw_pointer = x.as_ptr();
/// let slice = ptr::slice_from_raw_parts(raw_pointer, 3);
/// assert_eq!(unsafe { &*slice }[2], 7);
/// ```
///
/// You must ensure that the pointer is valid and not null before dereferencing
/// the raw slice. A slice reference must never have a null pointer, even if it's empty.
///
/// ```rust,should_panic
/// use std::ptr;
/// let danger: *const [u8] = ptr::slice_from_raw_parts(ptr::null(), 0);
/// unsafe {
/// danger.as_ref().expect("references must not be null");
/// }
/// ```
#[inline]
#[stable(feature = "slice_from_raw_parts", since = "1.42.0")]
#[rustc_const_stable(feature = "const_slice_from_raw_parts", since = "1.64.0")]
#[rustc_allow_const_fn_unstable(ptr_metadata)]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_slice_from_raw_parts"]
pub const fn slice_from_raw_parts<T>(data: *const T, len: usize) -> *const [T] {
from_raw_parts(data, len)
}
/// Forms a raw mutable slice from a pointer and a length.
///
/// The `len` argument is the number of **elements**, not the number of bytes.
///
/// Performs the same functionality as [`slice_from_raw_parts`], except that a
/// raw mutable slice is returned, as opposed to a raw immutable slice.
///
/// This function is safe, but actually using the return value is unsafe.
/// See the documentation of [`slice::from_raw_parts_mut`] for slice safety requirements.
///
/// [`slice::from_raw_parts_mut`]: crate::slice::from_raw_parts_mut
///
/// # Examples
///
/// ```rust
/// use std::ptr;
///
/// let x = &mut [5, 6, 7];
/// let raw_pointer = x.as_mut_ptr();
/// let slice = ptr::slice_from_raw_parts_mut(raw_pointer, 3);
///
/// unsafe {
/// (*slice)[2] = 99; // assign a value at an index in the slice
/// };
///
/// assert_eq!(unsafe { &*slice }[2], 99);
/// ```
///
/// You must ensure that the pointer is valid and not null before dereferencing
/// the raw slice. A slice reference must never have a null pointer, even if it's empty.
///
/// ```rust,should_panic
/// use std::ptr;
/// let danger: *mut [u8] = ptr::slice_from_raw_parts_mut(ptr::null_mut(), 0);
/// unsafe {
/// danger.as_mut().expect("references must not be null");
/// }
/// ```
#[inline]
#[stable(feature = "slice_from_raw_parts", since = "1.42.0")]
#[rustc_const_unstable(feature = "const_slice_from_raw_parts_mut", issue = "67456")]
#[rustc_diagnostic_item = "ptr_slice_from_raw_parts_mut"]
pub const fn slice_from_raw_parts_mut<T>(data: *mut T, len: usize) -> *mut [T] {