Re: [cocci] Reconsidering source code search challenges for nested compound statements

>> Can you see concrete change opportunities from my recent test results?
>>
>> 1. Inappropriate difference output
>>    https://lore.kernel.org/cocci/[email protected]/
>>    https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/cocci/2026-03/msg00004.html
> There is a problem here.

Thanks for such a feedback finally.


>> 2. Questionable hierarchy level
>>    https://lore.kernel.org/cocci/[email protected]/
>>    https://sympa.inria.fr/sympa/arc/cocci/2026-03/msg00015.html
> This is the message I was referring to.  I have no idea what you expect as
> the output.

I presented another test result for further development considerations.



>              I don't know why it is so hard to provide that information.

I imagine that corresponding case distinctions can become also more interesting.

A) C++ test variant:
Markus_Elfring@Sonne:…/Projekte/Coccinelle/Probe> /usr/bin/spatch --c++ test-item_assignments.c ../janitor/show_compound_statements.cocci
…
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ void my_test(void)
  int item;
 
  if (1)
- {
-    item = 1;
- }
 
  item = 2;
 }


Should declarations belong also to statements then?
https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/language/statements.html#Declaration_statements
https://gitlab.inria.fr/coccinelle/coccinelle/-/blob/233b5ceb1d5a701fb270ebdf0a9bd6be0a6ce53b/docs/manual/cocci_syntax.tex#L348-350


B) SmPL script variant:

@display2@
declaration d;
statement list sl;
@@
 {
 d
 *sl
 }

Questionable test result:
Markus_Elfring@Sonne:…/Projekte/Coccinelle/janitor> /usr/bin/spatch --parse-cocci show_compound_statements2.cocci
…
minus: parse error: 
  File "show_compound_statements2.cocci", line 7, column 2, charpos = 56
  around = 'sl',
  whole content =  *sl


How should this implementation detail be improved anyhow?

Regards,
Markus