Add stringify_list provisional feature -- SIMICS-22974

Author: lwaern-intel

RELEASENOTES.md

@@ -228,3 +228,6 @@
   as Coverity support is enabled by passing `--coverity` to DMLC.
 - `release 6 6356`
 - `release 7 7060`
+- `note 6` Added the `stringify_list` provisional feature, which extends
+  `stringify` to support compile-time lists. This is primarily meant to provide
+  a means of expressing lists within documentation strings.

py/dml/codegen.py

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import math
 
 from . import objects, crep, ctree, ast, int_register, logging, serialize
-from . import dmlparse, output, compat
+from . import dmlparse, output, compat, provisional
 from .logging import *
 from .expr import *
 from .ctree import *
@@ -1138,6 +1138,13 @@ def expr_unop(tree, location, scope):
                     if not func.independent:
                         mark_method_statically_exported(func)
                     return ctree.AddressOfMethod(tree.site, func)
+        if (tree.site.provisional_enabled(provisional.stringify_list)
+            and op == 'stringify' and isinstance(rh, List)):
+            if not rh.constant:
+                raise ENCONST(rh, rh)
+
+            return mkStringConstant(tree.site, str(rh))
+
         raise rh.exc()
     if   op == '!':
         if compat.dml12_not in dml.globals.enabled_compat:

py/dml/provisional.py

@@ -71,6 +71,29 @@ class explicit_param_decls(ProvisionalFeature):
     short = "Require := syntax for defining new params"
     stable = True
 
+@feature
+class stringify_list(ProvisionalFeature):
+    '''This feature extends upon `stringify`, making it able to stringify
+    compile-time lists that feature stringifiable items. As with all other
+    valid uses of `stringify`, the resulting string will be considered
+    constant.
+
+    This is primarily meant as a stop-gap solution for expressing lists of
+    items in documentation strings, which would not be possible otherwise as
+    e.g. the `documentation` parameter requires the definition to be a constant
+    string. `stringify_list` is provisional rather than built-in as it's a
+    sub-par solution to the problem, while also making `stringify` more open to
+    abuse.
+
+    Don't take advantage of this feature so that you may use `stringify` as a
+    means of determining whether or not something is a compile-time list, as
+    that is not considered a valid, supported use-case. You are only meant
+    to use `stringify` to produce user-facing strings (e.g. for documentation
+    or logging), or for anonymization (the `name` param).
+    '''
+    short = "Extend 'stringify' to support compile-time lists"
+    stable = True
+
 def parse_provisional(
         provs: list[("Site", str)]) -> dict[ProvisionalFeature, "Site"]:
     ret = {}

test/1.4/provisional/T_stringify_list.dml

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+  © 2025 Intel Corporation
+  SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+*/
+
+dml 1.4;
+
+provisional stringify_list;
+
+device test;
+
+/// COMPILE-ONLY
+
+#if (stringify([["a",0],["b",1],["c",false]])
+     != "[[\"a\",0],[\"b\",1],[\"c\",false]]") { error; }

test/1.4/provisional/T_stringify_list_ENCONST.dml

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/*
+  © 2025 Intel Corporation
+  SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+*/
+
+dml 1.4;
+
+provisional stringify_list;
+
+device test;
+
+/// COMPILE-ONLY
+
+/// ERROR ENCONST
+param p = stringify([["a",0],["b",1],["c",dev]]);