Generate vectorcall code to parse arguments using Argument Clinic

@vstinner

BPO	43447
Nosy	@vstinner, @serhiy-storchaka, @corona10, @erlend-aasland, @kumaraditya303

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/corona10'
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2021-03-09.11:34:23.944>
labels = ['expert-C-API', '3.10']
title = 'Generate vectorcall code to parse arguments using Argument Clinic'
updated_at = <Date 2022-03-06.09:38:05.594>
user = 'https://github.com/vstinner'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2022-03-06.09:38:05.594>
actor = 'kumaraditya'
assignee = 'corona10'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['C API']
creation = <Date 2021-03-09.11:34:23.944>
creator = 'vstinner'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 43447
keywords = []
message_count = 2.0
messages = ['388354', '389214']
nosy_count = 5.0
nosy_names = ['vstinner', 'serhiy.storchaka', 'corona10', 'erlendaasland', 'kumaraditya']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = None
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = None
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue43447'
versions = ['Python 3.10']

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To optimize the creation of objects, a lot of "tp_new" methods are defined twice: once in the legacy way (tp_new slot), once with the new VECTORCALL calling convention (tp_vectorcall slot). My concern is that the VECTORCALL implementation copy/paste most of the code just to parse arguments, whereas the specific code is just a few lines.

Example with the float type constructor:
--------------

static PyObject *
float_new(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs)
{
    PyObject *return_value = NULL;
    PyObject *x = NULL;

    if ((type == &PyFloat_Type) &&
        !_PyArg_NoKeywords("float", kwargs)) {
        goto exit;
    }
    if (!_PyArg_CheckPositional("float", PyTuple_GET_SIZE(args), 0, 1)) {
        goto exit;
    }
    if (PyTuple_GET_SIZE(args) < 1) {
        goto skip_optional;
    }
    x = PyTuple_GET_ITEM(args, 0);
skip_optional:
    return_value = float_new_impl(type, x);

exit:
    return return_value;
}

/*[clinic input]
@classmethod
float.\_\_new__ as float_new
    x: object(c_default="NULL") = 0
    /

Convert a string or number to a floating point number, if possible.
[clinic start generated code]*/

static PyObject *
float_new_impl(PyTypeObject *type, PyObject *x)
/*[clinic end generated code: output=ccf1e8dc460ba6ba input=f43661b7de03e9d8]*/
{
    if (type != &PyFloat_Type) {
        if (x == NULL) {
            x = _PyLong_GetZero();
        }
        return float_subtype_new(type, x); /* Wimp out */
    }

    if (x == NULL) {
        return PyFloat_FromDouble(0.0);
    }
    /* If it's a string, but not a string subclass, use
       PyFloat_FromString. */
    if (PyUnicode_CheckExact(x))
        return PyFloat_FromString(x);
    return PyNumber_Float(x);
}

static PyObject *
float_vectorcall(PyObject *type, PyObject * const*args,
                 size_t nargsf, PyObject *kwnames)
{
    if (!_PyArg_NoKwnames("float", kwnames)) {
        return NULL;
    }

    Py_ssize_t nargs = PyVectorcall_NARGS(nargsf);
    if (!_PyArg_CheckPositional("float", nargs, 0, 1)) {
        return NULL;
    }

    PyObject *x = nargs >= 1 ? args[0] : NULL;
    return float_new_impl((PyTypeObject *)type, x);
}

Here the float_new() function (tp_new slot) is implemented with Argument Clinic: float_new() C code is generated from the [clinic input] DSL: good!

My concern is that float_vectorcall() code is hand written, it's boring to write and boring to maintain.

Would it be possible to add a new [clinic input] DSL for vectorcall? I expect something like that:
--------------

static PyObject *
float_vectorcall(PyObject *type, PyObject * const*args,
                 size_t nargsf, PyObject *kwnames)
{
    if (!_PyArg_NoKwnames("float", kwnames)) {
        return NULL;
    }

    Py_ssize_t nargs = PyVectorcall_NARGS(nargsf);
    if (!_PyArg_CheckPositional("float", nargs, 0, 1)) {
        return NULL;
    }

    PyObject *x = nargs >= 1 ? args[0] : NULL;
    return float_vectorcall_impl(type, x);
}

static PyObject *
float_vectorcall_impl(PyObject *type, PyObject *x)
{
    return float_new_impl((PyTypeObject *)type, x);
}

where float_vectorcall() C code would be generated, and float_vectorcall_impl() would be the only part written manually. float_vectorcall_impl() gets a clean API and its body is way simpler to write and to maintain!

I agree with we should update AC to generate vectorcall.
I am going to investigate what we can :)

I don't have the bandwidth to work on this issue, so I just close it.

gh-87613: Use AC vectorcall for weakref.ref() (#159470)

Devguide update: python/devguide#1948

pythongh-87613: Fold AC vectorcall *args tests into existing cases

@vectorcall

pythongh-87613: Generate the AC @vectorcall helper in fastcall mode

pythongh-87613: Reuse the positional parser for AC **kwargs

pythongh-87613: Merge the inline AC vectorcall paths

pythongh-87613: Pick the AC **kwargs no-positional check with the con…

pythongh-87613: Declare the AC keyword parser locals in the conventio…

pythongh-87613: Warn on deprecated keywords passed to an AC vectorcall

@vectorcall

pythongh-87613: Build the AC @vectorcall **kwargs dict inline

pythongh-87613: zip: Drop tuplesize local

gh-87613: Use AC vectorcall for slice() (#159471)

gh-87613: Use AC and AC vectorcall for bool (#160791)

gh-87613: AC VC add support for *args and use it for zip (#160944)

gh-87613: Use AC and AC vectorcall for filter (#160792)

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Generate vectorcall code to parse arguments using Argument Clinic #87613

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Generate vectorcall code to parse arguments using Argument Clinic #87613

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vstinner commented on Mar 9, 2021

corona10 commented on Mar 21, 2021

vstinner commented on Nov 3, 2022

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cmaloney commented on Oct 28, 2026

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