Location is missing the function name

[schreter]

For our project, I implemented a version of Result which uses Try trait in such a way as to track the error handling locations, so we get a "call stack" of the error at the end. This works in conjunction with #[track_caller] very well and we see the locations the error handling took.

However, there is one major deficiency in Location - it only gives us the source name and line. Yes, with that, it's possible to manually look up the function where it happened, but it would be significantly simpler to evaluate bug reports by looking at the call trace with function names (we have practiced this in a large C++ project, where basically the dev support standardized on initially evaluating everything by function names in the call trace, ignoring line numbers). So it would be extremely useful if the Location would be extended with another &str containing the function name (ideally with generics). It can be also a mangled name, I don't care much, but the function name is important.

Before you shout "backtrace!" - yes, but... We are using heavy asynchronous processing, handling errors across awaits, where the backtrace has about zero value. Similar for tracing, we can't just keep the trace active permanently due to performance reasons. So the error handling "call stack" is a perfect compromise - cheap and sufficiently valuable (except that it's missing the function name).

According to my code study of the Rust compiler code, it should basically boil down to getting the function name from the current Span and adding it in addition to the file name to the generated const Location here:

rust/compiler/rustc_codegen_cranelift/src/common.rs

Line 351 in 012720f

let const_loc = self.tcx.const_caller_location((

I raised this initially in a comment in #47809. Here some observations from the discussion there:

• It's clear that adding the function name will increase generated string section (by potentially quite a bit), because instead of a single string per file we'll need to store potentially many strings per file.
• It's also clear that compilation speed might be minimally affected (only where the location is actually used, though), because instead of a single string with the file name another string with the function name must be created.

To alleviate this, storing function name could be made optional at compilation time, e.g., using a compiler flag.

Of course, one could argue that this could be also done in post-processing of traced errors. Of course, that's a possibility. But that's another step, which makes it quite cumbersome to use and needs a lot of resources and exact source code. The compiler already knows it at compile time and aside from costing more space in the generated executable (string section), there should be no adverse effects of having the function name in the Location.

Further, having the function name in Location, it would in general allow building various tools which use the location for debugging purposes, which in turn would help the community in general. So I think it's worth extending it.

@anp, @eddyb & @aturon you seem to have worked on this topic recently, so CC to you.

[eddyb]

getting the function name from the current Span

You shouldn't need to. You can use something like self.instance to get the Instance that describes the function you're in, and you can probably get access to the mangled symbol efficiently enough (something like tcx.symbol_name(self.instance) I would assume - it might even be cached around from codegen needing it already for the function definition itself).

I wouldn't store the "function name" but rather the mangled symbol (frankly, ideally a fn pointer to the function itself, so that you can use e.g. debuginfo instead, if you want, but that would inhibit optimizations sadly).
With the now-impending v0 mangling transition, the mangled symbol will both contain generics, and be more efficient than the expanded string. We could maybe even force v0 mangling for this usecase and ignore other settings.

For demangling, I don't think it would be a stretch to include rustc-demangle in core - std does so already, for backtraces (cc @yaahc), and if it were in core they could share it.

[schreter]

You shouldn't need to. You can use something like self.instance to get the Instance that describes the function you're in

Well, I'm no expert in compiler building, my focus is databases, so I'd prefer to leave the implementation to the compiler experts who know what they are doing :-). But sure, if there is a more efficient way, that's even better.

I wouldn't store the "function name" but rather the mangled symbol

Yes, I'd personally also prefer the mangled symbol.

ideally a fn pointer to the function itself, so that you can use e.g. debuginfo instead

Mhm. A crazy idea: What about putting the names into a special ELF string section (not regular initialized data or debuginfo), so it could be trimmed, if needed (resulting in None for function names). I.e., it would generate references into this extra string section and the dynamic linker would either resolve them, if the section exists, or set them to NULL if not. Not sure if the dynamic linker can do such a feat, though. Alternatively, Location could store only 32-bit string offset and size into this section and then based on whether the starting symbol of this section is found or not at runtime, it would either generate the name or not. OTOH, this should be known in advance and then instead of trimming, one can as well tell the compiler not to generate function names for Location via a flag.

[eddyb]

Well, I'm no expert in compiler building, my focus is databases, so I'd prefer to leave the implementation to the compiler experts who know what they are doing :-).

Sorry, what I should've said was that Span refers to "source code location", which function is being compiled (and, crucially, which choices of generic parameters) is elsewhere. There's not really any reasonable way to go from "position in file" to "function definition path + generics", anyway, efficiencies aside.

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Ideas for Location using different sections has been brought up before (#70579) and it definitely seems plausible if we can come up with an amenable user interface for it (e.g. how do you make "stripping" remove the data from the binary but reserve the right range so it gets zeroed in memory or something).

Sadly custom debuginfo is pretty tricky in LLVM, otherwise that could be interesting to experiment with.

[yaahc]

For demangling, I don't think it would be a stretch to include rustc-demangle in core - std does so already, for backtraces (cc @yaahc), and if it were in core they could share it.

We pretty much abandoned the idea of moving Backtrace into core, but maybe we could move just the functionality we need here into core?

[WaffleLapkin]

There is some previous discussion about getting the function name in https://rust-lang.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/219381-t-libs/topic/macro.20for.20getting.20the.20function.20name/near/269583366

[BGR360]

Piping in to say that I desire the exact same thing for the exact same use case (return-tracing powered by Try and #[track_caller]).

I also brought this up in an old zulip thread: https://rust-lang.zulipchat.com/#narrow/stream/131828-t-compiler/topic/function.20names.20in.20.60.23.5Btrack_caller.5D.60

I am willing to work on the implementation of this if I get buy-in and a little bit of mentoring from somebody. We really desire this at my place of work and I'm on a team where I can dedicate work hours to doing this.

[schreter]

@BGR360 Were you already able to work on the topic? We would like to use it as well (that's why I opened the issue), but I don't have anyone with the right skillset to implement it and/or help you with mentoring. The only help I can offer is what I found in rustc code (where the Location is generated) and what I linked above.

[BGR360]

@schreter thanks for the reminder. I started tinkering with this today while on the plane.

I think I'll be able to get something working :)

@rustbot claim

[BGR360]

I do have a question if anyone can help me.

I started out implementing this for the rustc_const_eval interpreter context, and leaving the function as <unknown> for any const_caller_location users.

But when I tried to test that, all the function names from Location::caller() came out as <unknown>. I realized this must be because rustc is going down the const_caller_location path for those, even when not used in a const context.

Is there any way I can write a UI test that is guaranteed to go through the InterpCtx::get_closest_untracked_caller_location path? I tried doing compile-flags: -C opt-level=0 but that didn't seem to be enough.

If so, I'll update the existing UI tests accordingly, cuz I assume we're missing out on code coverage for the InterpCtx path.

[eddyb]

I realized this must be because rustc is going down the const_caller_location path for those, even when not used in a const context.

That sounds right, IIRC const_caller_location allocates the constant representing a Span as a target &'static core::panic::Location - that is, the Location is "const", not the context it's acquired in.

You would need to add another argument to it, Option<ty::Instance<'tcx>> perhaps?
Though if you use tcx.symbol_name(self.instance) from codegen, it might be more efficient to take Option<SymbolName> (or whatever the symbol_name return type is) as the extra argument.

Either way, you'd have to pass that in to be able to add it to the Location. Also I would strongly advise against emitting "<unknown>" as a string literal, and instead use Option<&'static str> or similar for the relevant Location field (which would ideally contain a mangled symbol).

Also, when used from a const context, miri definitely also has the same amount of information anyway, so the Option is probably unnecessary once you get that working.

In terms of dealing with miri internals and other CTFE details, cc @oli-obk

[BGR360]

Though if you use tcx.symbol_name(self.instance) from codegen, it might be more efficient to take Option<SymbolName>

Oh, why's that? I was thinking of just using Instance as the other part of the key.

I would strongly advise against emitting "<unknown>" as a string literal, and instead use Option<&'static str> or similar for the relevant Location field

Yeah I originally wanted to use Option<&'a str> but I didn't know how to properly write an Option field using Place::write_*. It was simpler to model it off the existing code (which currently puts ""as the filename if-Z location-detail` has been set a certain way).

which would ideally contain a mangled symbol

Yep, that's my plan. Do you think Location wants to provide a public method to demangle it? I read the chatter above saying that std already does demangling stuff, but I didn't find it exposed publicly anywhere.

[juntyr]

@BGR360 Were you able to make further progress on your implementation? I stumbled across this issue yesterday after working on my own error wrapper that collects the location of every construction/propagation. Could I help contribute to prototype an implementation?

[hudson-ayers]

It would be good to profile the size cost of any implementation of this -- adding filename / line number already has a significant cost for embedded no_std binaries that include panic handlers (#70580). If it is added I think we should make it excludable via location-detail (#89920), but that is a nightly-only flag so the cost matters either way.

[schreter]

@hudson-ayers I agree with you that this may have significant costs. That's why I suggested some crazy ideas above.

And yes, a flag to turn it off for users who don't need it also makes sense. Maybe one could use location-detail to enable it (i.e., keep it disabled by default, track just file name and line number), then you won't have any change in stable. When the flag is stabilized, the user can decide to use it also for stable, until then, it would only work in nightly.