Allow passing `expr` metavariable to `cfg` #146961

Jules-Bertholet · 2025-09-24T05:21:01Z

This PR allows expanding expr metavariables inside the configuration predicates of cfg and cfg_attr invocations.
For example, the following code will now compile:

macro_rules! mac {
    ($e:expr) => {
        #[cfg_attr($e, inline)]
        #[cfg($e)]
        fn func() {}

        #[cfg(not($e))]
        fn func() {
            panic!()
        }
    }
}


mac!(any(unix, feature = "foo"));

There is currently no macro_rules fragment specifier that can represent all valid cfg predicates. meta comes closest, but excludes true and false. By fixing that, this change makes it easier to write declarative macros that parse cfg or cfg_attr invocations, for example #146281.

@rustbot label T-lang needs-fcp A-attributes A-cfg A-macros

rustbot · 2025-09-24T05:21:04Z

Some changes occurred in compiler/rustc_attr_parsing

cc @jdonszelmann

rustbot · 2025-09-24T05:21:06Z

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RalfJung · 2025-09-24T06:52:05Z

tests/ui/attributes/nonterminal-expansion.rs

 }

 pass_nonterminal!(n!());
+//~^ ERROR expected one of `(`, `::`, or `=`, found `!`


This error is surprisingly different from what you get when "inlining" the macro?

error: expected unsuffixed literal, found `!` --> src/main.rs:6:15 | 6 | #[repr(align(n!()))] | ^

https://play.rust-lang.org/?version=stable&mode=debug&edition=2024&gist=979f349ee4be2e88b300d4f97f5e1db9

$expr effectively has parentheses around it, so the "inlined" version would look more like #[repr(align((n!())))].

petrochenkov · 2025-09-26T18:13:51Z

Just as an update, after #124141 we effectively no longer have nonterminal tokens in the grammar (*).
At parsing time a pasted expr metavariable is not some NtExpr token, it's just a token stream in invisible parentheses.
If that token stream from expr parses as a cfg predicate then it can be used as a cfg predicate, if it parses as a type or pattern, then it can be used as a pattern as well.
And on the other hand, if a token stream from some other matcher like ty or pat parses as a cfg predicate, then it can be used as a cfg predicate.
In general, the matcher kind is only relevant during macro LHS matching, not during RHS parsing (**).

I hoped that some time after #124141 either @nnethercote or me relax these rules in many cases, when there are no backward compatibility concerns at least, and pass the change through lang team, but it didn't happen yet.
(In particular, tokens from any matchers should be parse-able in expr, ty and pat positions, there should be no compatibility issues there.)

A number of current hacks like accepting impl $ty for Type, or what this PR suggests, are just special cases of that strategy.

@Jules-Bertholet You could very well start the same process, just from a different point and accept any token streams that look like cfg predicates as cfg predicates, from any matchers, not just expr.

(*) Or we technically have, but only for compatibility and to avoid extending the language without the lang team process.
(**) Again, unless there are backward compatibility issues.

petrochenkov · 2025-09-26T18:21:08Z

As for the current implementation, the new expr-accepting logic is used in parse_meta_item and the new attr parsing infra, so it seems more than just cfg predicates specifically, but I'm not sure what else exactly is affected.

joshtriplett · 2025-10-08T15:39:09Z

This seems reasonable to me. It allows all :expr fragments here, and not all of those will subsequently parse, but that seems okay.

@rfcbot merge

rust-rfcbot · 2025-10-08T15:39:11Z

Team member @joshtriplett has proposed to merge this. The next step is review by the rest of the tagged team members:

No concerns currently listed.

Once a majority of reviewers approve (and at most 2 approvals are outstanding), this will enter its final comment period. If you spot a major issue that hasn't been raised at any point in this process, please speak up!

cc @rust-lang/lang-advisors: FCP proposed for lang, please feel free to register concerns.
See this document for info about what commands tagged team members can give me.

traviscross · 2025-10-08T15:40:58Z

@rfcbot reviewed

tmandry · 2025-10-08T15:43:49Z

@rfcbot reviewed

rust-rfcbot · 2025-10-08T15:43:56Z

🔔 This is now entering its final comment period, as per the review above. 🔔

joshtriplett · 2025-10-08T15:44:11Z

As for the current implementation, the new expr-accepting logic is used in parse_meta_item and the new attr parsing infra, so it seems more than just cfg predicates specifically, but I'm not sure what else exactly is affected.

Happy to see a more general version of this, if we can.

nikomatsakis · 2025-10-08T15:44:26Z

@rfcbot reviewed

I am in favor of making the "special tokens" and invisible delimiters less visible to the user.

rust-rfcbot · 2025-10-18T15:47:05Z

The final comment period, with a disposition to merge, as per the review above, is now complete.

As the automated representative of the governance process, I would like to thank the author for their work and everyone else who contributed.

This will be merged soon.

rustbot added A-attributes Area: Attributes (`#[…]`, `#![…]`) S-waiting-on-review Status: Awaiting review from the assignee but also interested parties. T-compiler Relevant to the compiler team, which will review and decide on the PR/issue. labels Sep 24, 2025

rustbot assigned fee1-dead Sep 24, 2025

rustbot added A-cfg Area: `cfg` conditional compilation A-macros Area: All kinds of macros (custom derive, macro_rules!, proc macros, ..) needs-fcp This change is insta-stable, or significant enough to need a team FCP to proceed. T-lang Relevant to the language team labels Sep 24, 2025

Jules-Bertholet mentioned this pull request Sep 24, 2025

Allow &&, ||, and ! in cfg rust-lang/rfcs#3796

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RalfJung reviewed Sep 24, 2025

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petrochenkov self-assigned this Sep 24, 2025

Allow passing expr metavariable to cfg

10f76de

Jules-Bertholet force-pushed the expr-cfg branch from 1cd49c1 to 10f76de Compare September 24, 2025 13:23

traviscross added the P-lang-drag-1 Lang team prioritization drag level 1. https://rust-lang.zulipchat.com/#narrow/channel/410516-t-lang label Sep 24, 2025

petrochenkov removed the S-waiting-on-review Status: Awaiting review from the assignee but also interested parties. label Sep 26, 2025

Urgau added S-waiting-on-t-lang Status: Awaiting decision from T-lang and removed S-waiting-on-team DEPRECATED: Use the team-based variants `S-waiting-on-t-lang`, `S-waiting-on-t-compiler`, ... labels Oct 6, 2025

rust-rfcbot added proposed-final-comment-period Proposed to merge/close by relevant subteam, see T-<team> label. Will enter FCP once signed off. disposition-merge This issue / PR is in PFCP or FCP with a disposition to merge it. labels Oct 8, 2025

rust-rfcbot added the final-comment-period In the final comment period and will be merged soon unless new substantive objections are raised. label Oct 8, 2025

rust-rfcbot removed the proposed-final-comment-period Proposed to merge/close by relevant subteam, see T-<team> label. Will enter FCP once signed off. label Oct 8, 2025

rustbot mentioned this pull request Oct 18, 2025

Tracking issue for release notes of #146961: Allow passing expr metavariable to cfg #147852

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Allow passing `expr` metavariable to `cfg` #146961

Allow passing `expr` metavariable to `cfg` #146961

Jules-Bertholet commented Sep 24, 2025 •

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petrochenkov commented Sep 26, 2025 •

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rust-rfcbot commented Oct 8, 2025 •

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