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

On Sun, 8 Mar 2026, Markus Elfring wrote:

> >> 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?

By putting the * in the leftmost column where it belongs.

julia


>
> Regards,
> Markus
>